


Beauty and the Beast

by Olivier_Ambrose



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Darkness, F/F, SwanQueen Fanfiction Facebook Group (Once Upon a Time), smut?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 26,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29736420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olivier_Ambrose/pseuds/Olivier_Ambrose
Summary: Prompt by @loubie on SQ Fanfic Group :What if it's the dark swan instead of the evil queen who's a villain and regina's the princess who needs to marry the "powerful and rich" villain to save the kingdom?Enjoy :)
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 140
Kudos: 143





	1. Chapter 1




	2. KINISHINAI

1\. KINISHINAI

It was a cold year, coldest Demanthus has seen in tens of years. By the time November started approaching the water in the lakes had frozen solid, the dew drops on the huge dense forest froze and had gone stone hard. Hard enough to give Timmy boy; the son of the local butcher a solid concussion.  
Livestock’s were dying due to cold and lack of food, and also people started skinning their sheep’s and making clothes out of it which eventually caused the sheep to freeze-die and the meat unsafe to eat.

The King Sir Henry mills, his wife whose personality could resemble the stone hard ice and their beautiful three children. The oldest was Regina Mills who loved books, horse-riding, cooking. The second daughter was Zelena Mills who simply was a puppet for Cora mills (also envious about how her older sister will be the heir to the throne) but was a prankster behind her back. The youngest- the son- named Graham was left at the main door of the palace by a pair of wolves and got adopted once they heard his cute little hoot.  
Regina mills was 17 when she saw a Knight fighting in a hand to hand combat and learnt few tricks of the shop, making Henry proud and Cora almost seethe with blood. She turned 18 when this harshest winter had been beating down on them. The issue was that the nearly fifteen thousand acre kingdom was the farthest from the nearby kingdom- a personal slice of heaven- and hence trade was minimal.

The nearby kingdom was a two day’s travel away, knights with the crest stitched on them left the kingdom in search for solution and help to the Demanthus and when the men came back with a big carriages, looking disheartened and miserable. It was told that the nation nearby; Patricea was frozen over and people were laying dead frozen in their beds, as if they knew their oncoming death. The deaths included the royal family who despite the warmest of cloths and insulation froze over.  
No one, not even the King Henry knew the fact that his wife Cora mills had a pinch of magic in her necklace; albeit dark magic but it was there. But she wasn’t going to use it save this useless kingdom. It didn’t exactly fit in her plans. Helping people was not Cora Mills.

When the times grew desperate and people were sent out with whatever horse that was alive to the king for help. Henry mills took his last resort; he asked Cora to help him out. The wife wasn’t desperate but the times’ were. Knowing fully well that whatever meat she had hoarded for her family was depleting faster and faster. She made a choice. She summoned the darkest entity known to entire humanity.

‘Oh, dark one. I summon thee.’ Pinching the dark dust between her fingers she threw it in the air and waited patiently waited.

‘Nothing happened.’ Henry exclaimed and Cora rolled her eyes at the bald headed man.

‘It’s the dark one, dearest. This entity is capable of crossing realms and realities, it might take her a bit of a time to arrive.’

‘Absolutely correct, Cora.’ A plume of grey-black smoke swirled around in their living room and the dark one appeared. It was a woman, Henry noticed. 

Platinum blonde hair tied in a top tight bun and wearing what could only be described as a flamboyant genuine leather. Jacket with lapels pushed upwards and slight hint of cleavage. The coattail was English and touched her upper thighs swishing almost like a cape. There was a red velvet waist coat under the leather jacket tied with black hard laces. Coal grey Leather pants with heeled boots. 

Dark One stepped closer to Cora Mills and tilted her head curiously, tutting ‘well, Cora. You’ve gotten old and wrinkly.’

Cora wanted to rolls her eyes or gape or perhaps (her favourite option) verbally abuse until they had to pick their dignity from the floor but she kept quiet.  
Cora mills was a lot of things but an idiot was not one of them.

‘You look the same, Odile.’ Odile simply smirked and sat on the Chesterfield summoning a tumbler of old whiskey revelling in the power she held as Henry slowly took a step away from her.

‘It’s a bit chilly, no?’ she smirked and took a sip while looking at the pair through her eyelashes. She loved playing games, it was her favourite past time to watch these dirty little filth fight over petty things like gold and money or the foolish of them all- love.

()

Regina wiped the frozen drop from her forehead which was previously sweat but as soon as it came in contact with the frozen hell, it tuned into ice.

Picking the little toddler Graham off the floor she locked the barn and altered her path towards her home. It was so cold that Regina could not even see the soft black mist lightly surrounding the palace. Entering and taking off her warm boots. The about-to-be nineteen Regina Mills entered her living room and froze just like ice.

Her eyes immediately found green-grey eyed woman who had crossed her legs (unladylike; the word her mom would use often) and sipping on brown liquid.

Regina gulped and tried looking away from the intense and heatedly curious gaze and looked down at the attire. The woman should be freezing! Regina thinks. 

Cora was quick to shield her daughter from Odile and shoo her away to her bedroom, Regina’s footsteps potter away throwing one last look to the pale skinned and her eyes drop  
to the light lipstick perfectly on her lips.

‘I must say…’ The woman’s husky and deep dark but cold voice slowly hum. A shiver shoots through her spine. ‘Your daughter is much more beautiful than you ever were, Cora.’  
That’s the last thing she hears and panicking, she deadbolts her door and hides under her covers hearing the soft thump on the floor which she thinks is of the blonde woman.

Cora takes a last glance at her daughter’s door and once she knows Regina will not come out she looks at Odile. 

‘I must know what favour you want before I accept your deal.’ Smart, Odile taps her fingers impatiently.

‘this is a deal I’m offering, I’ll give you people some sun, make sure your crops grow and stay alive. Give you livestock’s to survive and in return all I ask is a one teeny tinny favour. Isn’t that the best deal you’ve had in a while?’

Despite the innocent pout on Odile’s face. Cora knows how cunning and a monster she truly was. The taunt of her previous attempted deal was not lost.

‘We agree.’ Henry nods and Cora gives a shriek of protest and wide eyed tries shushing him down, ‘don’t repeat the word!’

‘Let’s shake on the deal.’ Odile ignores Cora, the darkness inside her giving a small delighted hum and she puts her hand forward to henry. Cora freezes, and goes mute as The Dark One takes away her mobility.

‘Deal. You get a favour out of this deal’ Henry shakes his hand and yells out when a small black light zaps in between them and cuts a long line on his palm. 

Fools, Odile thinks. People don’t realise how powerful words can be.

‘I’ll come and collect my debt once my end of the deal is done.’ With that Odile smirks at Cora and throws one last look at the door Regina disappeared through and summons her magic. Vanishing in thin air. 

‘Do svidaniya.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is it? make sure to leave me reviews :)  
> should I continue?


	3. Trouvaille

2\. Trouvaille

The shout of her mother’s clearly distressed voice lets Regina know that the guest was gone and now her parent were gonna fight if the high pitch and choked voice was any indication.

‘Do you have any single idea....?’ Cora seethes and jams a finger on her husband’s chest. ‘Of what you’ve done?’

Cora shivers away the disgust she felt when Odile looked a t her daughter. Swan was nuisance through and through. She wanted to scream into the air at husband’s incapacity. God maybe she should’ve taken the last deal Odile had offered her. A marriage to the third in Prince. How in the every loving fuck she married this guy, she has no idea. 

‘Are you dumb?’ Henry barely gets a word out before Cora is bashing in on him. ‘Do you know what she can do with a single favour? She can enslave the entire world with that favour and you just gave it away instead of discussing it with me?’

Regina slowly opens her door an inch and watches her mother give her father a brutal tongue lashing. Regina bit her lips, what could she do to help her daddy from the cruel mother. It was impossible.

Her mother was cruel, heartless woman with not an ounce of empathy or love in her body.

The real question is what is her mother yammering on about and who is that strange attired woman?

()

Regina had a hint of what exactly was going on. She didn’t notice it first but as the time passed by, she started seeing the difference about the weather, livestock, people and flora. It was subtle, just a bud at first and then the ice would melt off and seep into the flora, breathing life into the plants and soft heat with warm wind making them dance which eventually made Graham giggle.

There was a big question sitting on the tip of her tongue but it was always sidestepped by either of her parents. Her father didn’t look guilty as she assumed (because Cora always told him that he should be feeling miserable). Even the pupils didn’t know what happened but they were told about how a deal was made and now they could live happily.

Regina rolled her eyes, theres no way a person, that woman changed the weather. It’s not possible!

She had a feeling there was a lot more her parents weren’t telling her.

It was definitely something if it made her mother grab an axe from the shed and cut off vegetation as much as she could. The real problem was that when Cora destroyed vegetables, three more would take its place. Regina watched her mother break down in the middle of the warm evening surrounded with more watermelons than necessary. 

Zelena continued going on dates with suitors and eventually was found out by Regina when she caught her younger sister on top of a guy with her front corset unlaced.  
There were heavy words and threats exchanged between them. Regina was accused of being jealous and overbearing which she denied and replied with ‘I’m only looking out for you.’

Since Cora clearly lacked maternal instincts, Regina had stepped in and was taking care of Graham from young age.

It was her twentieth birthday when she say the blonde woman again.

‘I’m here to collect my debt’, she had said. Henry agreed and Cora just hissed at him. What an idiot. 

‘Your eldest daughter. That’s the favour you own me.’ Swan ran her fingers on the Regina’s photograph on the mantle, the utensil Cora had been carrying dropped in the floor with a loud thump. Regina's eyes widened from the where she was hiding.

‘I want her.’

Emma's grey eyes met hers' and her fate was sealed.


	4. Apanthropy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People just asked me why I changed Emma’s name and the reason is that Odile Swan has a significance in literature? Or is history? I’m not an expert on this stuff. In all the urban legends I’ve read, name is a powerful thing. If your enemy knows your name, he or she holds power over you. Hence Odile swan. Her true name will come later in the book. I plan on enjoying this book a lot. Hope you guys enjoy too.
> 
> if you have something specific you wanna request or are hoping to find in this book. let me know in the comments. :)

3\. Apanthropy

Marry this monster? Regina felt dizzy all of a sudden, she held onto the nearest object to steady herself.

Marry Darkness itself? God, she’d rather die.

Regina’s shock didn’t wear off for quite a time, even when her mother had begged Odile to ‘let her be and ask for anything else’ but Swan was nothing if not persistent. She joyously watched as Henry (just like his daughter) was shocked and the guilt crept unto him immediately he felt physically sick.

Odile remained seated and watched chaos with a shine in her eyes and a cruel lifeless smile on her face. Tilting her head in confusion she watched Regina scurry off from her hiding spot into her brothers’ and sobbing on his little body. The toddler just held her with all the innocence it could with his little chubby hands.

‘Four weeks.’ Her eyes looked up from Cora’s and on the roof where she knew Regina was sobbing. ‘I’ll collect her in a month. I give you these days to plan the wedding. I’m not entirely heartless ya know’ giving a sarcastic huff she continued on with her threat, her eyes swirling with darkness beneath them. 

‘If I come here and I don’t see her in a wedding dress… all of you will die, all your kingdom will die the most painful death I have in my head. I’ll freeze your entire country and kill your surrounding kingdoms too.’

‘And one more thing.’ She brushed her clothes, giving them time to absorb the threat and then turned right before she summoned her magic. ‘If I find out that you tried to get out of this little deal you made. I’ll make it much worse for all your children. Including the baby.’

‘The baby?’

Odile vanished in thin air. Her cold mocking laugh echoing off the walls.

()  
The baby.

It took the royalty two days to find out what Odile spoke. The baby as Odile had mentioned was residing in Zelena’s belly. She was pregnant.

The palm print on Zelena’s face was more of being scared of what the Dark One could do to the baby than the fact that their daughter was carrying a child out of wedlock.  
Regina remained numb until her favourite knight had returned from his quest and surprised her in her bedroom. Daniel frowned when Regina refused to eat move or even horse ride. It took him a single morning to get all the details out from the workers.

T minus three weeks and two days.

Daniel had successfully shaken Princess Regina out of the shock and they both found out about how her father was doing everything in his power to find someone who could shake things up in their favour. Fate could huff if she could. Shake things against Dark One? Hadn’t happened in thousands of years and probably won’t happen in another thousand years.

Unfortunately, nothing or no one is stronger than the ancient Dark One who carries more darkness in herself than there is in the universe combined.

Henry’ eye bags were least off his worries, Cora contacted every sorceress she knew who could possibly help her. It didn’t do much good- either the sorceress were scared of Odile or were bound to him. It was getting worse and worse.

Cora suddenly wanted to turn back time and let the entire kingdom starve and their own family starve just so she could avoid this worse fate for her daughter.

She gulped knowing all the things she read about Odile and the amount of people she killed in matter of few years. She remember Hatton’s war in which the tale of a black knight spread across borders.

This knight had slaughtered villages upon villages on the King’s command, killing off anyone who questioned his heritage or questioned his values. The knight single handed piled bodies upon bodies on blood soaked ground- men, woman, children, and babies.

Luring the king into a false sense of security the knight killed the king later after the king refused to hold up his end of deal and she wiped the entire kingdom clean, it was the legend of Odile. Odile was the black knight. Till date no one knows the exact location of kingdom.

Giving her daughter to this monster? She wiped her eye. ‘I always taught you to marry for love or freedom. I’m sorry this marriage won’t give you any of it, Regina.’

The news of the deal spread across the entire kingdom and all of them showed their support to the royal family, they were helpless, powerless. Every night the whole family would sleep in the same room (except Zelena; she thought Regina is the one who told their parents about her pregnancy.) henry and Cora cocooned both their children and wept until they tired themselves out.

()

‘What a lovely day…’ Swan breathed in lungful of fresh air, beside her a dog sized dragon clearly imitated its master and puffed his chest out too. Without even thinking twice, he dipped his bifurcated tongue in Odile’s tea and jumped back when smacked away playfully. 

‘How many times do I have to tell you…? Don’t touch my stuff.’ The dragon huffed and pouted and when attention was not given to him, he offered his belly to its master and Emma begrudgingly rubbed his belly. 

A strong gust of wind flew and a portal opened three acres away from her castle. Leaning forward she narrowed her eyes as the person with a tool belt around his waist, she waved her hand and sent the realm-hopper to the dungeons where her blood hungry wolf was waiting for its meal. 

The screams made the little dragon jump around and go in circles, protecting Odile the best way he could in his small form.

It was nearly time for her daily dose of kick-back-the-chair-and-watch-shit unfold, she uttered a name ‘Regina.’

The mirror showed her: the girl quietly trying to lug her luggage across palace onto her horse. Emma raised an eyebrow, the girl clearly wasn’t farsighted. There was snowstorms everywhere around the kingdom, all the credit to the friendly neighbourhood Dark One Odile.

She was about to wave her hand and make the image disappear when the image of a strong hand gripped Regina’s and pulled her into a hug.

Swan doesn’t remember the glass breaking in her hands. Doesn’t remember how the glass cuts into her hand and viscous dark fluid dripping from her palms. Doesn’t remember her little dragon whining and nuzzling nose into her healing hand to provide comfort.

How dare he touch something that is going to be her property in matter of few weeks?

Raising a finger, she spooked the horse. The horse whinnied on its two hind legs and tossed the knight from over his body and into the unforgiving ground. Bruised body and bruised ego. That’s what this imbecile deserved.

Odile didn’t wait for the repercussions of her actions and simply walked away.

()

A week before the deal Swan had appeared to ask how the plans of wedding were going. The entire kingdom was decorated like a bride. Regina stood numb as she was being   
fitted into her wedding dress. 

‘I don’t have time for this you know. I’m busy doing evil stuff.’ Odile says simply. Henry purses his lips, not being able to convince Odile to call off the wedding any way.

‘I will marry you.’ Regina stepped in the war room causing all the eyes to turn to her, including the idiot knights who held their swords to Odile while she sat in a way that suggested she would fall asleep any given second.

‘But R-’ henry complained.

‘No mother, father. This is only way all of you will remain safe including my niece or nephew.’ She turned to the Dark one with fire and determination in her eyes. ‘Promise me you will not hurt any of them’

‘As long as they try not interfere with my work, sure.’ Odile shrugged and turned the knights around her into dust and slowly let the particles fly away for dramatic flair. She shrugged again when everyone looked at her with their jaws dropped. ‘You didn’t say anything about your knights.’

‘And my kingdom-’

Odile raised a hand, ‘I keep my deals, so as long as you try not to run away.’

The raised eyebrows and pointed look made Regina blush in embarrassment. ‘I knew you did that.’

‘What are going to do to my daughter?’

Disappearing in a puff of grey smoke, she appears beside Regina who flinches away, wrapping a surprisingly warm arm around Regina’s waist, Swan smirked, ‘what do married people do, Cora?’

No further explanation was needed.

Before Cora could be physically sick, the dark one magicked a bucket in the Queens lap and watched as the Cora scurried away with the bucket in hand and puked right outside. 

And that’s how the wedding decorations had started with the involvement of the royal family.

()

The weeks passed and as the wedding day got closer one day Odile suddenly knocked on her door, Regina out of fright once slammed the door in Odile’s face to which she just gave a hollow chuckle. 

Regina gulped but didn’t open the door, pressing her body weight against the door, it was amusing because if Odile wanted she would’ve ripped it right off its hinges. 

‘What do you want?’

‘Could you tell me if this pocket square matches your dress?’ Regina yelped when a silky soft square appeared on her lap.

‘I’ll get you a pocket square matching my wedding dress.’ Odile sat on the opposite side of the door and laid her head against the wooden door.

‘Here.’ A cerulean box appeared in Regina’s lap and she gasped at the jewellery piece inside. Beautiful necklace with weaved platinum and an unknown metal encasing lightly over the emerald and tanzanite. ‘I- I hope y-you like it.’ And with that Odile disappears from her bride-to-be’s 

The wedding day neared and Regina was scared, constantly looking over her shoulder for Odile. Her mother had warned her about the kind of a monster she was and Regina just about burst into tears, ‘I wanna marry for love, mother. Not to a brute, this-this beast.’

T minus zero days arrived faster than she wanted.


	5. Morii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those two people who've been asking me 'when will i introduce main characters like Snow, David and Henry, quite possibly douchebag Neal?' (first off those are not main characters, alright.)  
> I like none of them for what they did to Emma Swan. i know for sure that i will not be putting Henry Daniel Mills in this story. i dislike him. I hate brats. (i might bash snow or something, idk.)  
> i sincerely hope you enjoy. don't be afraid to leave comments or something. i promise I'm not mean person :)

4\. Morii

By the time, the married couple arrived at Dark Castle, Bride Regina was shuddering like a leaf. Although Odile asked her twice about dinner she couldn’t stomach anything. The last thing she needed was to puke on the Beast when she was being taken by her.

Although Odile had kept her distance respectfully, asking frequently if she wanted wine or food or possibly some air, Regina shook her head and kept her eyes and ears perked up.

After all the stories her mother told her, all the horrible assassinations, the kill counts, Regina politely declined anything Beast offered her. That’s what a good monster would do wouldn’t it? Lull her in false sense of security and pounce on her when she least expected it.

The thought of being taken by the Dark One on her wedding night dropped a huge chunk of metal across her guts. God, this was not how she imagined her wedding night to go. 

She imagined it intimate, perfectly slow and soft lovemaking and possibly sneaking off to the kitchen because she and her husband were hungry.

She didn’t imagine to be married to darkness incarnate itself. 

Dark cloaks greeted her and shook her out of her thoughts and called her ‘The Queen of Darkness’, Regina nearly had a heart attack when one of the cloaks lifted their hood and a small swirl of gold and black greeted her. The cloak was almost empty other than this small ball. There was no physical body in any of these cloaks. None of them.

They were souls, sentenced to eternal damnation and sworn an oath to the Dark One.

Despite it being called dark palace and looking all black and Grey from outside, it was lavish and warm inside, the hallways were alight with hustle and bustle and huge gifts for the newly married couple everywhere her eyes fell.

The entire path was brushed with red roses and aromatic candles, the fear in her heart took a leap when they neared a room where the rose path ended.  
Despite being theoretically taught of how wedding nights go, Regina was scared and was quite close to having a breakdown.

When they entered the bedroom, Odile introduced her to the three maids, living breathing human maids, Regina noted with a small sigh of relief. The room was huge, noticeably bigger than her own at Mills manor. There was a long cherry oak study table with parchments and ink pots with Platinum quills. A round bed big enough for at least four people to comfortably sleep on it with purple silk sheets (theres no way Odile knows that purple is my favourite colour, Regina denied in her head), high ceilings with huge chandelier in the middle and a tall empty book case. Regina wouldn’t be surprised if the thick lilac comforter was the softest she’s ever felt too. 

The floor was pristine light gold coloured tiles. With irregular thunder silver patterns, Regina stood awed at her entire bedroom and Emma puffed her chest up in pride. She remembers quite vividly all the discussion, planning and expense it took for her to get people from different realms to make this room.

‘This room belongs to my soon to be wife and your soon to be Queen of Darkness’ she had said.

‘The best for Queen of Darkness’ they had chorused back.

Emma showed her a weird contraption in the bathroom called shower; which was clearly absurd thing to have. Who bathes while standing? Mongrels?

Regina breathed in a small smile when she saw how big the bath chamber was, on the side of a big emerald rectangular bathtub just a couple feet away was a huge ceiling-to-floor glass panel which allowed her to overlook the dark forest. It was magic, Odile said, they could look outside but nobody to look in. 

Regina tried her hardest not to awe and touch every surface she saw. It was truly a sight to behold. Her mind reminded her- it was a gilded cage. Marriage to a Beast to save her kingdom. Doesn’t matter if her room is truly better than anything she dreamed off, it was still a prison.

The thought sobered her quickly.

Once they were left alone in the bed chamber, Regina took a brave breath. This is it. Let’s get this over with. Regina was about to take off her jacket when Odile spoke.

‘Good night, my wife. I will see you tomorrow for breakfast. Sleep well.’ With that Swan turned a one eighty degree and walked off towards her own room leaving a gaping Queen behind who’s hands had the jacket halfway down her shoulder blinking rapidly.

Despite the Dark One leaving, Regina sat on bed, there is no reason that she just left, right? This has to be a trick.

The fact didn’t solidify until her maids entered the room and changed her into the nightgown and told her how they would wake her up before breakfast.

‘I got married today.’ Odile shrugs when she’s safely tucked in her own single bed. ‘I guess I can take a day off from being evil.’

()

Regina wakes with heavy pants in her ear and her gut coils in fear while she wills her body not to tighten. She’s here. What kind of ogre took their partner without their consent while they were sleeping?

Regina hated her. God she did. With every fibre of her being.

A soft whine caused her eyes to open. She yelped when the little dragon tilted its head in curiosity at the stranger. Its big fire-red eyes assessing the newly-wed queen nosily. The dragon looked as long as her entire arm with similar wings. It was scaly- green, blue, and black scales haphazardly patterned across its entire body, its talons looked weirdly cute and trimmed, its belly pink and skin white and tail twice long as its body and thumping its tail in the air.

Monster dragon. She immediately backed to the headboard.

The dragon dropped a small ball on her chest and wagged its long tail in the air. Fetch? Did it wanna play fetch? Or was this ball some kind of ball-god who will be sacrificing Regina?

Gulping, she took the ball and threw it. The dragon gave out a small happy yelp and flapped its wings and followed the ball across the room. Toddling its way back to bed and 

Regina finds herself smiling. It was an adorable dragon. Truly. A foot long tail with a tilted spikes on the end and back wings with a small dog-like body.

A couple more games of fetch had lifted Regina’s mood noticeably and she tidied herself and followed the dragon when it started pulling Regina by the hem of her dress, the little dragon clearly knew where they were going.

Regina looked anxiously around as women and cloaks bowed deeply to her and wished her happy marriage. That was another thing she didn’t understand, until last night there were just cloaks and now alive women and alive men were hustling and bustling in the castle, wishing her a ‘happy marriage’ genuinely, not in fear. Not the way she thought. The big mahogany doors open automatically and people bowed deeply, respectfully. A small smile slipped past her lips as she took a seat one side of the table. 

Jonathan, was the first one to initiate a conversation. ‘Queen of Darkness, what would you like for breakfast?’

‘I’d kill for a high stack of pancakes, Jon.’ Yawning, Odile entered the room and Regina noticed that they nodded to the Dark One. They did not bow. Interesting.

‘Of course, majesty.’

Regina did end up saying she wanted to try pancake and Jon quickly scurried off to make breakfast. Regina kept herself tight, reflex awakened. Maybe Odile’s gonna comment   
about how she shouldn’t eat such fatty foods which would change her figure- just like her mother did. She waited and waited, but the Odile engaged her small talk about pancakes and how they were made. Regina listened, despite dark under bags under Odile’s eyes, she looked genuinely happy about food. Regina didn’t dare comment on her long robe and baby pink fluffy sliders. It wasn’t how she imagined Darkness.

She imagined more like snakes slithering across the floor and-

Regina paused her train of thought, she wanted oh so badly for her mother to see this side with pink fluffy siders.

The entire breakfast is a silent affair with Odile yawning into her cup of Earl Grey and red rimmed eyes.

‘Here, boy.’ Dangling a piece of bacon Emma pats her thigh and Regina watches in fascination as the little dragon leaves her feet and totters towards the Dark One, steals the bacon off her fingers, nipping at her fingers. Regina doesn’t believe her eyes when Odile playfully taps the dragon’s nose and the little baby-like animal nuzzles into her hand and purrs.

Regina refused eating bacon because of being taught the way her mother did and Odile just shrugged and goes ‘I don’t care if you gain weight’. It shouldn’t have made her heart flutter the way it did.

The little dragon drooled and flew back wobbling towards her newest playmate and plops himself on Regina’s lap, nuzzling into her chest. Regina kisses the small head and rubs affectionately at her first friend.

‘He took a shine to you.’ Odile nods and Regina just about freezes, the fear in her eyes that Odile would hurt this pure animal just to hurt her makes her tighten her grip on the little dragon. He yips his approval at being held lovingly. 

‘what’s his name?’ Regina asks and watches as darkness slithers its way in the Dark One’s eyes. The whites of her eyes swirl into dark black and Regina is quite close to lifting her skirt and running back to her bed.

‘He doesn’t have name. I just call him boy.’ If Regina didn’t know any better she’d think Odile was ashamed to not have named the little pet. Of course, Regina thought, what would you expect from a vessel of Darkness who knows nothing but plundering and destroying? She feels a tinge of sympathy for the monster but it diminishes away just as quickly.

Nodding, Regina continues eating the cut up fruits beside her eaten thoroughly eaten pancakes (god, Regina had no idea things this tasty even existed!)

Once the breakfast is done, Odile requests her company for a stroll and Regina gulps. Oh, dear, maybe she shouldn’t have gotten so comfortable here.

A fidgeting and scared Regina follows Odile and takes the offered hand shakily when they need to go downstairs through the giant spiral staircase. Swan’s hands are surprisingly warm and non-threatening and perhaps shaking too if Regina paid attention.

‘Your palace has a big flower garden.’ Odile softly whispers, gulping, eyes flitting everywhere. ‘I’ve heard you liked to tend it. A couple things are sown here. I don’t know if you’ll like them but you can change it anytime. It was sown three weeks ago, so theres nothing but buds and those little things.’

Regina almost wants to laugh when Odile winces at not knowing what those ‘little things’ were. She appreciates the gesture. 

Swan continues showing her around the castle: Regina is awed by the sight of hot spring, the big honey crisp tree which apparently is named Raina. Regina pucks a fruit from the tree named after her and gives an appreciative groan at the delicious apple. Oh yes, it was prime quality. Odile smirks and continues walking her to the stables with three strong horses.

‘You can pick anyone of these. They belong to you. The other two will be assigned to guards protecting you.’  
Keeping an eye on me, Regina thinks bitterly, chomping angrily.

Glorified gilded cage. An arm-candy to the show-off. An imprisoned wife in this Castle.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably stop posting updates on facebook sq after this update so if you guys want u can subscribe for updates and all.  
> I shall be updating quite a bit of chapters in next three days because i have final exams and clinical rounds so i can't update during those time.  
> ill try and make this book slowburn but idk if i have the writing skill for that but I will try.
> 
> leaving reviews and all really gave me motivation for writing this so thank you.  
> without any more delay, lets get into it.

5.

Giving a strong kick to Rex’s flank, Regina urged him forward, leaving her guards- Merida and Mulan behind. Oh yes, she was going to hold the hat-trick win forever over their head. She could feel strong northern accent closing in on her and she shook the reins firmly, Rex speeding up the path in the forest.

‘Let’s go, boy. Show them how it’s done.’ A happy yip and cheer soon made her smile, knowing her little dragon was cheering from the sky protecting her from sun.

‘Cynfael’ Regina ordered and the loyal dragon perched himself on Queen Regina’s shoulder, hissing when any of her guards came close. She could hear Scottish grumble but 

Mulan was too close. Queen Regina won, as usual as they stopped by the lake and let their horses take rest for a while. Breathing heavily all of them dropped on the picnic sheet like stones. Mulan eyed both of them amused and feeds the horses apples from Reina. 

It was still early in the morning, the lack of birds’ still astonished Regina since the forest was home to a lot of creatures but Odile’s distaste for any kind of bird was almost amusing since her last name is Swan. 

Speaking of, Odile had left two days ago for ‘doing some evil stuff’ as she said and Regina enjoyed her freedom and took liberties. Late night strolls, midnight munchies. Riding out with her two guards and the Queen, although waiting for the other shoe to drop, enjoyed every service that was offered and given to her.

The fact that entire Dark Forest bowed down to her still amazed her. No matter what time she would leave castle for a ride or a stroll or simply exploring, the forest creatures and trees assisted her anyway they could. Maybe there were more advantages to being married to the Dark One than simply being a trophy wife and arm-candy.

She vividly remembers how a couple nights ago, a very upset Queen Regina got lost in the forest, and when she whispers about how she’s lost, the true magic of the Dark Forest happens. The trees bend and weave a pathway for her so she can reach the castle safely, not only that, a small army of squirrels accompanied her in the cold dark sky. They chatter and offer her nuts and form a strong circle around her so that the Queen of Darkness doesn’t get scared. She remembers Cynfael squawking and searching for her overhead and when he found her- well- he had tackled her to the ground and nuzzled into her chest until he was satisfied that she was safe. It brought tears to her eyes.

It was heart-warming really. It made her heart flutter when she changed into her nightgown with sore feet and groans about the pain. Mint salve and her favourite hot chocolate with whipped cream materializes in her study in dark grey smoke. She remembers shyly whispering a small thank you to Odile. The only acknowledgment she got was the small bar of chocolate dropping into her lap.

She was still scared of her, but Odile wasn’t cruel to her, not yet, greeting her with a grumpy face until Regina smiled at her and Swan’s lips twitched at the side but remained impassive.

Odile did not visit her in her room, it was weird but Regina couldn’t be bothered. She was starting to feel happy. It wasn’t the life she imagined, but it was working somehow.  
Drinking water from the lake, all six of them slump on the green grass and Regina’s belly rumbles, within next fifteen seconds one white lion and pounced from beside them (which scared Merida and caused Mulan to pull her bow taut) and laid a small basket filled grapes and pears right beside Regina and lays his giant head on Regina’s lap.

Merida huffs, ‘couldn’t bring us too, could ya?’ the lion gives a threatening growl to her and she gulps. ‘Alright. Message received. Only for Queen of Darkness.’

Scratching the lion’s mane, Regina laughs softly. ‘That’s my good girl.’

Animals didn’t scare her anymore in this forest, they clearly cared for her, protected her- their own Queen of Darkness.

Nothing scared her anymore after an alligator slithered out of the lake towards her and offered her own hunt- a fish.

A quivering and pale Regina calmed down only after the alligator dumped the fish near her feet and went its way in the lake.

Shaking out of its memory she watched the giant white lion and her pet Cynfael roll on the grass and push each other playfully. She wiped the pears and fed it to the horses, shared grapes with the guards.

She whistled slowly and both her animals stop immediately. Tossing a grape in the air she fed them both.

‘My Queen we must-’ Mulan never gets to finish her sentence. 

A strong gust of wind threatens to move them backwards, the lion takes a protective stance in front of her while Merida and Mulan quickly pack stuff and get ready to leave.

A portal moves over head and slowly transports towards castle, Regina notices how the air smells faintly or burnt tar and spice.

The portal disappears towards the castle and they all immediately giddy up and dart towards the castle. The lion follows closely and stops once they are at the clearing, Regina thanks the animal, gives its head a loving kiss and disappears. 

It hits her later that she hasn’t seen Odile’s bedroom and doesn’t know where to find her in this huge castle. It doesn’t help that Odile has clearly ordered the maids that her room is ‘forbidden’ and not even her queenly power can budge them. No one is allowed in her room, not even maids. God forbid this beast if this beast didn’t clean her room regularly Regina just might do something. Her hand twitches. 

With a frustrated huff, Regina finds her way back to her own room and changes into a pair of comfortable clothes (Swan’s suggestion) and waited knowing Odile was back home. It wasn’t new to her. Odile often came back to palace and greeted her directly at dinner time.

Regina huffed, it wasn’t like they were conventional married couple but still, and it was a common curtesy to greet your wife when you come back right?

Wife...

The term didn’t make her sick anymore, after being married to the Dark One for nearly a month, sleeping with an eye open, waiting for the beast to claim her. She had finally  
relaxed after Odile had dropped on one knee to straighten the skirt that had messed up after she tried hurrying through doors and didn’t touch her, just used a tad bit of her dark magic to cast a protective spell around her which existed in the form of translucent black wall when touched.

The basement was forbidden to Regina, not even in any kind of emergency was she allowed to go down. Odile later explained about the small opening from behind the mirror from her own bedroom and how it opened in the forest where her most trusted animals lived. She then realised how serious Odile was about safety and how dangerous it was to being married to the otherworldly Dark One.

Odile wasn’t that bad, Regina thought and continued her path when a high pitched scream caught her ears. Regina tiptoed and followed the painful scream, Cynfael followed close behind, mimicking her dramatically. She would’ve given him his favourite treat of chicken if she wasn’t a woman on a mission, he was just that cute.

There was protection spell, Regina smelt it before she could even touch it. Magic wasn’t something she wasn’t used to. Her mother used it on her in secrecy behind closed doors to teach her lessons, to make her obey. She still has a scar on her hip to back up her claims.  
She couldn’t even see the opening to the dungeons. Huffing and puffing she went back to her room when she didn’t get her way.

()

The garden had bloomed beautifully. Although it wasn’t her choice of what was sown, she was happy with results. There were flowers she hadn’t seen in her whole life, with white petals and black and silvers thunders on them or the other one which resembled pink with white blushes all around it.

There were black, white and pink roses all over corners, ‘protecting the garden from rats,’ Odile had said but Regina caught the lie with a smile.

There were no mosquitos or flies and definitely no rats or roaches.  
There were butterflies with thunder on them, Regina had come to a conclusion that thunder patterns must be quite common and territorial here in cold.  
There was another thing she found out about castle, there were tones of things and finding from another realms. Like chocolate and ice cream which was kept in a freezing room powered with Dark One’s magic.

Her bathtub when touched on the side, would reheat water until she was satisfied.

The fruit basket in her bedroom which could never be empty, it was always filled with apples, grapes bananas and Regina would always find raspberries and starfruit when she was sleepless.

Jonathan the cook showed her around and even let her cook when she felt like it. ‘Dark One isn’t all that bad.’ He had said and Regina refused to acknowledge.

It wasn’t until Odile took a shuddering breath after Regina had made spicy chicken (with extra smoked paprika and chilli powder. It took Queen Regina next fifteen minutes to understand why Odile was red in the face and drinking so much cold water. It was too much heat for her. Regina feared Odile would think that she did it on purpose but the Dark 

One simply smiled with watery eyes, a small complement about how good the food was and disappears in the smoke.

It doesn’t help that Regina finds Jon sneaking brownie ice cream to the dark one who fanned her mouth and kept on producing ice in her hands to help her with the burn.

It made something in Regina get warm. There was this small urge to hold Swan’s hand and she immediately stomped on it.

She was a trophy wife, not a loving one. The Dark One could die for all she cared.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at that, back to back updates.

6\. 

Regina was frantic.

There were tears on her cheeks as she searched for Odile in the palace. With blurry vision, she summoned her wife for the first time in four months of marriage.

‘Odile!’

Her guards immediately appeared in front of her in sleepwear first and then grey smoke covered them and put them in their uniform, she called out again, ‘Odile!’

A continues thump caught her eye and she followed it to her own bedroom and then the tall mirror shimmered, liquefied and an attentive Odile stepped in through the mirror.

‘What happened?’ Swan looked around for the source of her wife’s discomfort, her fists covered in black mist, rumbling with magic. Without even thinking twice Regina took a step forward, jogged and leaped into a clearly stunned Dark One who froze and looked helpless about how to comfort her Queen.

‘My fa-father is sick.’ Swan nodded to both the guards and they immediately understood, within minutes a carriage was set, her clothes were packed and sniffing Queen of 

Darkness was carried bridal style to the bed and a clearly awkward Swan held her while she sobbed on her shoulder. When Cynfael flew inside after his daily flying exercise he noticed his favourite playmate in distress and immediately wrapped his wings around the queen who burst into tears at the warmth of her little dragon, her face still in the crook of a pale neck and gangly shaking arms wrapped around her- almost afraid to hurt the Queen.

Swan stroked her head after Cynfael had done the same with his chin, learning quickly the dark One murmured, ‘Nothings gonna happen to him. He will be fine. How about I change your dress and then you can go home and find out what’s happening, aye?’

‘I-I can go and see him?’ brown eyes peered up at her from her neck. The contrast of soft olive tone and her pale neck looked so beautiful that Dark One wiped Regina’s blood red eyes, and produced a soft grey handkerchief for her queen.

‘Of course you can.’ Waving a finger in the air, Odile changed her dress to white linen shirt and blue leather pants and a leather jacket which resembled the Dark One’s a lot. It shouldn’t have made her smile but it did.

Producing four black rings in her hands, Odile made the first two disappear and onto her guards’ fingers. The last two and clearly made from an unknown metal were softly put on Regina’s right index finger and left ring finger where her marriage ring sat. ‘Do not remove them, no matter what.’

Picking her distressed wife in her strong lean arms, she called out her magic and strong black mist covered them all and transported to the carriage. 

A magical stone board appeared the size of her forearm and Odile settled them both in the carriage. Although having no clue of what to do, Odile knew ice cream was her wife’s favourite.

Jon quickly took a similar magical stone board in his back pack and sat on the horse.

Regina watched in fascination at how nearly thirty guards appeared and cracked their bones, clearly made out of magic. They were covered from head to toe with black and grey armour, a badge of Swan sitting on their biceps, they all bowed deeply to their Queen of Darkness and thumped their metal chest, the noise echoing through the place like a warning to other people.

Odile set her wife down with Mulan and Cynfael already buckled up. Her little dragon jumps from his seat and presses his forehead to Dark One’s ‘protect her and yourself, you hear me?’

The command makes Regina’s belly flutter, god, if this wasn’t a monster she would’ve just kissed the damn woman.

The colour of his eyes change for a second to fiery blue and shifts back as he flaps his wings and nuzzles back in Regina’s chest.

‘Call for me if you need me.’ Pale fingers stroke ever so softly at her cheek and Regina closes her fluttering eyes at being touched for the very first time.

Regina watches everyone get ready for transportation, fifteen guards ahead of the carriage in steel horses which emitted black steam-smoke through their nostrils. Beside her carriage, Merida is sitting in a grey-red uniform with one hand on the hilt of her sword and a bow across her trunk. Couple squirrels raising their arms in farewell to their Queen and a mighty roar of a Lion kilometres away to wards off threats. It gives her Goosebumps. 

Behind her carriage, fifteen more guards in black uniform and steel horses with Jon sitting uncomfortably.

Craning her neck, Regina watches Dark Swan summoning a black steel sword with the words ‘Queen’ on it and with her magic she transports it to her wife.

Before she could thank the Dark One, a black mist covers all of them and transports them right in the middle of Henry Mills’ kingdom.

The last thing she sees is her pale wife turning even paler at the huge amount of magic she used to transport them all hundreds of miles away right in the middle square of Henry Mills’ kingdom

Her people scurry away and watch in absolute fear as the loud thump of horses and dart towards the Mills Palace. 

Regina shakes her head in amusement. Of course Odile goes for the dramatic approach and power moves.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the reason i wrote seven instead of number seven is because the key doesnt work anymore in my laptop, I am sorry! T_T

Chapter seven

Once the carriage stopped, Regina took a deep breath and stepped out of carriage with a flourish a Queen, a glance across the area was enough time for the black knight to help his Queen down. Everybody watched in shock, fear and astonishment as a single thump resonated across the palace when her army stomped and thumped chest once turned into dust. The dust- like a magnet- soon was inhaled deeply by Queen Regina. Her entire eye darkened for a second and it disappeared.

Cynfael perched himself on Queen Regina’s shoulder and roared dangerously. The sight of a dragon perched on her shoulder had Graham giddy in the servant’s arms.  
Regina would’ve smiled, knowing all this was just a show of power for Odile. A show of power of how much power Queen of Darkness exhibits, how much power the wife of the darkest entity to ever exist means. Regina wouldn’t be surprised if Odile had orchestrated the entire move right from her bedroom.

She didn’t even glance at her mother and strutted off to her father. Cora didn’t deserve Regina’s time anymore. She was a Queen now, she had a feeling if she bowed to her mother right now not only would it show Cora’s superiority but it would also show Regina is still under her thumb. And that was something she refused to do anymore. 

Cynfael though, wasn’t done in his brilliant display of power. He flapped his wings, hissing dangerously at her mother and sister. His claw like talons dangerously threatened them both that they went pale.

‘Be gone, you monster.’ It took everything in Regina to not snap back at Cora. Cynfael wasn’t a monster. He was one of the precious things in her life, god help anybody who tries and hurt him- Regina will rip their throat out. Perhaps living with the dark one might have rubbed something onto her.

It wasn’t long before the sight of an angry black ball of hissing animal had the untouchable Cora faint. If that wasn’t enough, Cynfael tossed dirt on her fainted mother’s face and then the extra prideful bounce on her little dragon’s step just makes Regina click her fingers.

A very satisfied Cynfael plopped himself back on Regina’s shoulder and yips happily when Regina gives him a treat. ‘That’s my very good boy.’

()

‘Daddy.’ Regina whispered so softly to him that he merely shifted in his sleep, he was pale and had lost a couple kilos, deep worry and sad lines across his face and a permanent frown on his face.

Cora (who woke up after being shaken vigorously; washed her face twice thanks to the dirt.) and Zelena looked with shock and jealously written on their faces respectively. Regina simply stroked his bald head and Cynfael slowly took a seat at her feet. Her little protector mimicked Regina and laid the end of his wing on Henry Mills arm.

‘Regina tell that abomination to stop touching him!’

‘If you ever call him an abomination, Cora. I will let him lose on you. Then we shall see who survives.’ Cora staggers back at the blatant display of insubordination, that too publicly. How dare she disobey the queen? 

‘What did the doctor say?’

‘He will be fine in a couple week Regina, no need to be so emotional.’ Cora scoffed and Regina tightened her grip on her father’s hand, sobbing softly in relief.

Regina could’ve sworn she heard Odile’s voice in her head saying, ‘I told you he’d be fine.’

Regina stroked the ring on her finger and sat near her father as arrangements were made for her stay. Mulan and Merida had set up the guest house for all of them, much to   
Cora’s displeasure, her new guards where extremely competent and had everything set up in matter of minutes. Regina had a faint idea that somehow Odile had helped with magic.

It didn’t settle deep in Cora and a heavily pregnant Zelena about how the Regina they had known now had people to do her bidding. Anytime she needed something, Mulan and Merida were quick to assist their queen. 

Nothing of this kingdom was drank or eaten by the Queen of Darkness. Mulan simply held her head high in a standoff with Zelena saying, ‘we don’t want our Queen to be poisoned.’  
Zelena had scoffed, ‘she’s our family. Why would we poison her?’

Mulan didn’t even blink, ‘she’s your family and that’s the exact reason why our Queen will not be consuming anything of yours.’

Regina decided she could share her pears with Mulan the next time they go for horse-riding.

The entire day Zelena and Cora were made to feel inferior in their own palace, Mulan thought Zelena was starting to turn green from all the jealousy and envy. And Cora’s head would explode if she was denied superiority one more time. For god’s sake this was her daughter!

Regina sat outside with a cup of hot chocolate in her hand and watched Graham and Cynfael play with each other, Cynfael took quick shine to him. It was adorable at how Graham rode Cynfael like a horse. Playing fetch and peek-a-boo. Regina wished she could capture this moment of Cynfael hiding behind his own wings and graham tickling him.

The toddler had grown so much, it brought tears to her eyes. After all she was the one who left this innocent child here with two she-devils, she desperately wished she could take him with her. Odile wouldn’t say no, right? As long as he stayed out of her ways.

‘Your dragon will hurt our baby brother, sister.’ Zelena spat, practically shaking to put her elder sister down for once. It wasn’t fair! Why was Regina chosen the heir of the kingdom and now married to the strongest dark entity in all of universe. She deserved this amount of power. It belonged to her!

‘Hurt him?’ Regina laughed mockingly, it shouldn’t make Zelena gulp but it does. ‘Cynfael is a protector, he would never hurt someone I care deeply about.’

Cynfael looks Zelena’s way and opens his mouth and growls and Regina smiles at him and he toddles over to her for a pat on his head. 

()

As dinner time approaches, her father is still asleep and unfortunately the dinner happens at the palace. Rabbit’s food was served to the Mills and Jon (who hid behind Mulan and Merida every time anyone approached near him) served Regina her favourite steak with special sauce. The mouth-watering smell makes Zelena swallow her spit, her pregnancy was not helping. 

Cora tucks her chin up and gives her oldest daughter a once over and spoke condescendingly, ‘Regina dear, you’ve gained so much weight.’

Zelena snickers and Mulan raises an eyebrow, she loves her life too much to retort and say exactly how gorgeous and fit Queen Regina is. Oh hell no. Dark One would skin her alive and make an example out of her. No thank you, Mulan simply touches the hilt of her sword and stays put behind Her Majesty’s chair.

Regina simply takes a bite of her juicy steak, refusing to take the bait.

Zelena continuous her mother’s barb, ‘you should watch your weight, dear sister. Or else The Dark one would toss you in the dungeon for being so unattractive.’

Merida clamps her mouth shut, this was not the place for her smart mouth right now. And she didn’t want to tempt fate by saying something to a impregnated woman.

‘You’d know everything about being unattractive, wouldn’t you Zelena.’ Regina lets out a cruel chuckle. Merida snickers softly behind and Regina grins, feeling Mulan shake with silent laughter. She wouldn’t be surprised if they did a low-five behind her. 

Zelena fumes silently because Cynfael is staring at her through his fiery red gaze, and Zelena wouldn’t even make it to the front house before that dragon would bite her to death.  
no one notices him toddling over to the Mills. Oh yes, after all Cynfael had a job to protect his Queen. 

The fire in his belly turns up tenfold and he flies from behind both Cora and Zelena and breathes fire into her food, it burns her chicken Caesar salad to black ash and Regina tuts, 

‘black, just like your soul, Cora.’

Cora lets out a mangled screech and jumps back, her magic hits Cynfael and Regina abruptly stands up, but her little dragon looks bored. He spits a small fireball in Zelena’s glass of wine, burning all the alcohol and leaving behind a red bubbling mess.

‘You shouldn’t be drinking wine, Zee. It’s not good for the baby.’ Regina smirks and feeds Cynfael bacon from his small plate. He happily chews and nuzzles his head in Regina’s arm. 

The previous barb does its work though and Regina eats only half her steak and feeds the rest to her little dragon. 

Perceptive dragon pushes his plate of bacon to the Queen because he knows she’s either hungry or upset. Regina gives a small smile and blinks once. No, the answers no. 

Zelena stared daggers at her sister, ‘you must be really talented in bedroom for the Dark One that he sent you here with so much power.’

‘Absolutely marvellous in the bedroom.’ Regina purrs and Cora choked and lets out an undignified squeak. Merida hides her yelp and Mulan just looks away, she did not need that image in her head.

Regina smirked and tapped the hilt of her sword and immediately an expensive bottle of red wine appeared in front of Regina’s plate with a black empty card tied to the bottle with gold thread.

‘The best wine for my beautiful wife.’ 

Regina blushes and places the card on the table. Curious as hell both the Mills’ peer and Zelena burns with jealousy. Why should Regina get someone who appreciates her, why not her, why did she get impregnated by a jerk who left her first chance he got.

Regina tilted her head, perhaps Odile didn’t want her Queen feel unappealing and wrote the note. Without even thinking twice, Merida uncorks the bottle and served her the wine.

Zelena stood up and pressed a hand against her growing belly, practically seething, points aggressively at Queen Regina. ‘You don’t deserve this power Regina! It belongs to me!’

Regina gives a husky chuckle and Mulan’s hands goes to unsheathe her sword. Cynfael stays on her playmates lap and growls but the continuous stroke on his head keeps him calm.

‘I’m the Queen of Darkness, princess Zelena. I’m married to the darkest entity in this entire creation. You think you can take my title? Don’t make me laugh.’

Cora doesn’t recognise this woman in front of her, it’s not the cowering eighteen year old who left her home. Not the one who would hide under her covers when Cora would use her magic on her and not the one who would beg for mercy after lashed severely.

With the last sentence hanging, Regina twirls and marches off to her bedroom, her long cape swooshing behind her. Mulan and Merida immediately follow their queen and Cynfael jumps on the end of her cape and gets a free ride to the bedroom.

Cynfael covers his eyes with both his wings and Regina laughs at him, while taking off her clothes and changing into a nightgown. She misses her bath back at the Dark Palace. 

The scene of setting sun with orange cast all over the forest and warm water beneath her (which always stayed warm), she misses it.

A small lumps moves around under her sheets and Regina gasps at seeing the familiar squirrel with a side bag made of leather, big enough to fit one nut into it. The squirrel is barely the size of her index finger.

‘Did you smuggle yourself into my carriage?’

The squirrel nods and presses a kiss on Queen Regina’s feet. And stays there the whole night while Cynfael stays on her side and protects his Queen while she sleeps.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! thank you for all the reviews and kudos and subscriptions, you guys are amazing!  
> guess who sprained her leg and will not be attending college tomorrow? Me. (which means more updates)

8.

Regina hummed in her sleep and searched for the soft lilac covers but instead she finds blue and pulls them closer to her body. Just like any other morning, Regina is woken with a warm head nuzzling into her and a small ball being placed in her hand.

Smiling half-asleep she throws it hears a happy sound and a pair of talons joyously skipping to fetch it, her cute little dragon fetches it again and again and again until Regina is siting awake in her bed. Her smile diminishes when she realises she’s not back at the castle, she’s in Mills castle.

Bathing in the ugly porcelain tub and using her favourite soaps and oils, she sighs. This is possibly the worst morning in last five months. Keeping her schedule she finds her two trusty guards already awake wearing a tunic and leather pants.

After Jon had made a delicious feast for breakfast, Regina visits her father who’s awake.

‘Hey daddy.’ They both sit together for most of the day and talk, Regina reassuring him that she hasn’t been harmed in any way. They play chess and talk about strategies with the kingdom and Regina helps her father with her expertise. After all she is the heir. When Zelena enters Henry’s chambers, he quickly dismisses her and both brunettes sit and continue until brunch. Regina didn’t knew it was possible for Zelena to turn red, green suited her ugly personality.

Entering the main seating room in the palace where she first saw Odile, a familiar crackle of magic in the air which smells similar to burning meat, Regina barely has time to turn when a glass vase breaks near her from magic and a small wedge embeds itself and cuts through her upper lip.

Before the blood can even seep out, she hears her little dragon roar and fly towards the closed room. Cora doesn’t even get to enjoy the fear in her daughter’s eyes before a haze of black appears and grabs at her throat. It’s Odile. And she was pissed. It was certainly foolish of Cora to think that Odile wouldn’t track her own wife. Cora hoped Odile was realms away so she could teach her insubordinate daughter some manners.

‘How dare you, you bloody imbecile.’ Odile threatens with her teeth bared and eyes swirling with blackness. Her grey pupils sunk into a dangerous shade of red, she truly looked like the stuff of nightmares. ‘How dare you hurt my wife?’

Freezing her, Odile turns away and takes a step towards her hunched up wife who’s leaning against the mantle. Taking away all the senses-sight, smell, taste and hearing, Odile watches Cora cry out with dead eyes.

Odile cups her wife’s face and steps back afraid when Regina flinches. Anger courses through her body knowing that this isn’t the first time Cora had hurt Regina. 

Cynfael screeches so loudly that the entire palace shakes scaring Cora even more, he burns the entire door down to ashes and bites Cora’s hand until her hand is dripping with blood and tries to shoot him away with magic, but the little dragon is a magical creature and couple parlour tricks isn’t enough to scare him.

With blurry vision Regina recognises warm hands cupping her face and a couple tears escape her eyes. The memories of Cora hurting her are so strong at even a small amount puts her in the trance.

She whisks them both away to the room where Regina is living temporarily. Summoning a pair of tweezers Odile waits for Regina to give her permission to remove the small glass.

Once Regina recognises it’s Odile and currently kneeling in front of her with a pair of tweezers in shaking hands, Regina nods and whimpers when the tweezer comes closer to her. The smooth palm resting on her under eye soothes her tremendously, even though it’s shaking in fear- fear of Regina pulling away from her.

The helpless expression on Odile’s face makes her smile and grimace when the glass cuts through.

Plucking the glass out was no easy feat for Odile. Tell her to pluck out someone’s eyeball with her bare hands, yes she could do it. Her magic was vibrating too much inside her. 

Once the glass is safely out and mint salve is applied on her top lip. Regina gulps, feeling hot breath on her neck and causing Goosebumps on her skin.

Odile continues inspecting the area and strokes the area around it to take away the pain, trying to quell down the butterflies in her belly, Regina grips the hand and kisses the thumb which starts shaking almost immediately when her soft lips come in contact with her rough skin.

They can hear Cora screaming for help and bumping into stuff as she begs for her senses back but none of them care right now. Odile clenches her other hand behind her back, the blackness still swirling behind her eyes slowly dissipates.

‘Thank you, Odile.’ Regina touches her lip and press her face to the length of Dark One’s neck for comfort and fat tears appear in the Queen’s eyes. Dark one practically shakes in awkwardness.

She didn’t care right now that this creature in front of her had killed millions, razed villages upon villages, killed kings and Queen for her benefit or watched chaos unfold with a smile on her face. This woman saved her from a brutal punishment Cora was going to inflict. Nobody ever did that for her. Zelena enjoyed Regina’s misery too much and Henry was unaware of corporate punishments.

Odile was completely out of her depth here, she didn’t know what to do when her wife was hugging her so close, her lips pressed against the hollow of her neck.  
So she stayed stock still until Regina pulled herself back, her nose grazing the soft skin of Odile’s neck and Odile feels a strange sensation on her arms. Regina never knew what darkness smells like but she never expected it to smell of lavender and soft musk.

‘Do you want to go back to the Dark Castle?’ Regina shakes her head softly, her brown locks teasing Odile’s jaw.

‘I want to make sure he’s okay before I leave.’ Regina tucks her locks behind her ear, looking hesitantly at Odile who is so close to her, ‘is that okay?’

‘It is.’ Summoning a bowl of Regina’s favourite ice-cream, Odile puts some sprinkle on cookie dough ice cream and hands it to her. Brown eyes light up in excitement but they diminish to soil brown when sad.

Odile furrows her eyebrows, ‘what is it?’

‘I- am not hungry.’

‘Liar.’ Odile watches Regina play with it, eyes flicking towards her belly again and again. ‘Are you feeling unwell?’

Tears gather around Regina’s eyes and Odile’s jaw tighten. ‘What did the two idiots say to you?’

Regina’s lips wobble and Odile is already calling for her magic in case she needs to burn the whole kingdom down to ashes. With the people in it.

()

‘How does it feel, Cora?’ Odile just watches standing in the doorway at red-rimmed lifeless eyes. Odile is quite close to ripping her throat out and make Zelena eat it but the soft touch of her wife keeps her from doing so.

‘What have you done to my mother?! Undo it!’ Zelena screams and Odile’s eyebrows shoot up. She clenches her fist once dramatically and Zelena instantly loses her voice. The panic isn’t good for the baby but Odile doesn’t give a damn. She’s killed new-borns and pregnant women by stabbing them in their belly. This one even deserved it.

Regina’s eyes search for Cynfael and she almost misses his small figure which is huddled close to the door with head bowed down and making himself as small as possible. The Queens heart breaks at the sight of her little dragon looking so utterly sad.

Regina picks him but he doesn’t look up, ‘Cynfael. What’s wrong, baby?’

Two diamonds drop on her arm and she flinches. Are those tears? Does the dragon cry diamonds?

‘Who hurt you, Cynfael?’ Regina, for the first time in her life feels unmeasurable anger course through her. If anybody had hurt him while she was absent, Regina is going to dip them in hot oil.

Cynfael small body shakes and his long tail wraps itself around Regina’s waist. When he looks up, Regina feels a stone drop in her gut.

His normally happy eyes have drooped sad, his small jaw wobbles and he’s breathing erratically, almost as if he’s sobbing inside.

‘My little dragon, what’s wrong?’ his nose touches her cheek and she understands.

‘It’s not your fault, Cyn. You had gone out for your flying lessons, you couldn’t have known. It will heal.’ Cynfael still rubs his talons together and presses their foreheads together. 

‘I am okay.’

He doesn’t leave his post from beside her.

‘DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, YOU LITTLE SNIVELING SHITS?!’ Cynfael cowers into her and whimpers at Dark Swan’s voice and she instantly knows that Odile hasn’t been this angry in years.

Rushing back into the room everyone’s pressed to the wall in utter fear, trying to disappear if they could. There’s a black mist in the room which makes Regina squint to look ahead of her.

Regina blows out a breath and her breath hitches. Cora- still senseless- and Zelena pressed four feet above the ground into the wall with face reddening. Regina grabs her wife’s arm and within a second the black haze stutters and goes away halfway.

Odile takes a deep breath, levitating herself off the ground she comes face to face with Cora and duplicates herself in front of the jealous sister. Regina gulps at the intimidating Darkness incarnate. If she thought one was dangerous, two is just downright terrifying. Odile flicks her fingers and gives Cora back her senses.

‘If you ever trouble my wife and bully her for her weight, I will toss you both in my dungeon. My wife is gorgeous than any one of you can be in million births combined. If you ever call my pet an abomination. I will feed you to him and I assure you, he likes his victims raw and alive.’

Regina looks back on her shoulder –when a wing taps her to grab her attention, Cynfael is hanging with his wings wrapped around her neck. He looks at her and shakes his little head in disgust and Regina almost chuckles. He’s defending himself in front of Regina. Hmm, so Cynfael hates eating live victims. For some reason the sight of Cynfael chasing a living chicken is highly amusing.

Odile makes a fist in front of Cora and Regina watches in horror at all the magic gets sucked out of her mother and turns into a stone in Odile’s fist. Squeezing, she breaks the stone and extinguishes any and every magic in Cora.

The duplicate stares at Zelena and she gulps. Looking at her in disgust, Odile just scrunches her nose up. ‘You think you deserve to be my wife?’  
Zelena gulps and stays still and Odile rolls her eyes and gives her tongue back.

‘I-‘

Odile patiently waits, as if she has all the time in the world. ‘Do you?’

‘Yes?’

‘Is that a question or answer?’

‘Yes I do.’ Regina quirks an eyebrow. That’s bravery, Regina notes. Odile’s vision, which shows hundred different ways to look at things sees nothing but jealousy, envy and inferior complex.

‘Do you honestly think I would make a deal with your parents if you were the only child they had? Oh no, I would let all of you freeze and rot for eternity. The only reason you all are alive is my wife. And you will do well to remember that.’

The two Entities mash together into one and Odile turns around cupping her wife’s face as tenderly as she could, runs her thumb on the broken skin and puts a small band aid on it.

‘Absolutely stunning.’ Regina blushes deep red and Odile vanishes in thin air, releasing everyone from their magical restraints.

Cora tests her magic and throws Regina the most scathing look she can muster, Zelena quite literally turns mild green.

Cynfael does one thing he can do best. He breathes out fire and burns Cora’s brown hair halfway to her neck and watches completely satisfied with his deed.

But clearly he’s not the only one, the squirrel which had smuggled itself into the Queen of Darkness’s carriage throws the only nut he has in Zelena’s eyes and looks innocently at Regina when she raises her eyebrows at the palm sized squirrel.

The squirrel hitches a ride on Cynfael and they both look at Zelena with the ultimate ‘fuck you’ to ever exist.


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

9.

Cynfael plays with a ball of yarn and growls at it when it doesn't move like a regular ball, while Regina twirls the tubs of salve.

' _Absolutely stunning.'_

The memory brings a blush onto her face, she could still feel the ghost of her wife's digits and warm breath on her neck and the look of helplessness when Regina cried. Odile genuinely did not know how to care about anything, but the fact that she protected Regina with such a flair just does some __things__ to her.

'Do you think I should call her and apologize for breaking her routine?'

Cynfael just blinks at his playmate and shakes his head. As if saying, _are you trying to find excuses to talk to your own wife?_ Biting her lips, Regina looks at the mirror and touches the surface. 'Can you show her to me?'

Cynfael puffs out his little chest and wiggles entire body like a dog and breathes purple mist into the mirror.

The glass, for a second shows the reflection but the image distorts and sinks into darkness. But then the image of Dark One comes to picture and Regina's heart stops for a second.

Sitting at the long dining table, Odile eats with a single candle lit and the rest of the gigantic room in complete darkness. White condensation appears when Odile exhales. It's cold? The palace is usually warm, did the weather became worse? Or is it possible that Odile only keeps the palace warm because Regina lives there.

Theres also no sight of any servant or cloaks or even a cook in sight. At that moment Queen of Darkness realises how truly lonely Dark One is.

God knows how many centuries she must've spent alone in that big castle. Making deals, destruction, death, that's all she's ever known after all. Love, affection, intimacy, Dark One has never known any of it.

How does a person miss something that they haven't felt before? It was obvious in the case of the Dark One.

Regina is suddenly hit with the fact that if Jon had accompanied her in her travels, who was cooking for the Dark One then?

Is the reason that cloaks and servants exist is so Regina stays comfortable in the palace and not like a prisoner.

But she was, wasn't she? A prisoner, an arm candy, an extension to Dark Odile Swan, a trophy wife.

_But did she ever treat you that way?_

The answer was clearly no. there wasn't a single instance where Odile had made her feel bad about wanting something. Anything she would ask for would appear before the word was even out of her mouth.

Nothing was ever asked of her. Not to do her 'wifely duties' as her mother told her, not to hang onto her partners arm throughout the night at Balls for show off. Odile never told her to watch her weight or wear a crown, or bow to her.

But at what price? Her freedom?

Was it worth it?

Regina shook her head. _Nothing at the price of her freedom._

But would Odile let her go if she asks for freedom?

Her thoughts gets disturbed with light snores coming from her lap where graham naps, Regina motions the servant to take him, her eyes catches her little dragon's who gives her the most loving gaze an arm sized dragon could.

She playfully pulls him from her feet on her bed, 'what do you want, hmm?'

Cynfael looks at Regina's lap and the door from which Graham just left. Regina huffs playfully at him, 'you want to get swaddled like a baby?'

Cynfael bites on Regina's nightgown shyly and bats his non-existent eyelashes at her. 'Okay you drama queen, let's get you to sleep.'

Cynfael doesn't waste any time in getting into Regina's lap and tucking his head in her chest and wraps his tail around himself like a blanket. If that wasn't adorable enough, he tucks his talons under the blanket and looks at Regina.

Regina coos at him and strokes his head until he falls asleep on her. After three stories of dragon-king and dragon-queen, that is.

He did have a rather exciting day, Regina supposes. Crying diamonds, fearing Odile's wrath, singing Cora's hair and also biting her wrist.

A rather eventful day indeed.

()

The palace still seemed to shake with aftershocks of Dark One's wrath. It showed in how people bowed and cowered when she as much as looked in their direction. A strange sadness hit her in the chest with the knowledge that these people feared her now.

Regina does end up telling Henry about all the things Cora has ever done to her, all the lashes, beatings, magical restraints. Everything.

Henry is disappointed but his anger has never mattered to her, knowing him he will just give his wife a slap on the wrist and forgive her. Everyone knew he had a good heart but no backbone.

Regina spars with her guards who teach her how to protect herself. It was worrying about how she hadn't run into her mother and sister the entire day and in the evening she finds out why.

()

Regina spends her time in the library and hums whilst stopping Cynfael from thievery. when a bright coloured book looked to good and he would drag the book and try to steal it. Regina would scold him and he'd pout and try again with a different book.

A crocodile leather bound book seems to catch her eye when the sunlight just fell right on that singular book.

It's very old and Regina takes a seat and clears her throat pointedly when from her hindsight she sees Cynfael trying to hoard another book in his thieving pile.

Slowly she opens the thick buckle and gasps at the title; Darkest Entity to Exist.

She quickly searches for Dark One and flips the pages and starts reading.

_When the creation of this universe took place our creator needed an anchor to keep the balance of all the things they created._

_So instead of making creatures with equal amounts of light and dark, good and evil, he put all the good in his creations aka animals and living organisms. And put all the evil and darkness in one single entity._

_They named him Dark One; Leader of Darkness._

_The dark Entity was like a parasite which needed a host in order to stabilize itself. When a host was not available, the entity would just bounce in the universe with absolutely no knowledge of human race._

_The entity claimed its first unknown victim in a small town. The one thing to note is that every single Dark One has a name they like to call themselves; which is especially how they strongly feel about darkness and how far can it seduce its victim._

_The real name of the Dark One is the name that is provided to the host by the birth. Except Rumpelstiltskin, no other Dark One ever told their name out in the air._

_There have been five Dark Ones since the creation of this universe, these five are the only ones to guard the secret of how humans came into existence and who our creator is._

Regina skims through pages of the first three dark Ones and jumps to the second last- his name was Rumpelstiltskin.

_Rumpelstiltskin was a born coward who took refugee in the vile power of Darkness, this man with northern accent would sell wool clothing and had a 13 year old son-Balefire._

_His wife left him for being not enough of a man and took companionship of Captain Hook and she abandoned her husband and son and sailed away._

_Rumpelstiltskin was tricked into killing the existing Dark One and soon took over. He freed his son from war by killing ogres but the darkness could not let him disobey._

_He killed whoever as much as looked at him. Rumpelstiltskin took revenge for taking away his wife by killing captain Hook and giving his shredded body to Ursula who uses it later as bait- because apparently Captain Hook was utterly useless other than being just a bait._

_He induces fear and makes deals, creating chaos. His eighteen year old son soon got tired of shenanigans and takes a pledge to free his papa from this unholy darkness._

_Finding a magical bean, he drops it into the ground and urges the Dark One to enter the Land Without Magic where he could live as a simple man. The angry man choses power over his son and pushes him into the portal into the Land Without Magic._

_He's lost forever._

Regina flips the pages and reads all the horrible things he keeps on doing. She shakes her head, she can't imagine someone choosing darkness over their own flesh and blood.

Her mind zooms on a single name. Odile; the ultimate Dark One.

_Nobody knows the true origin of Dark Swan. Nobody knows how a young woman came about to this power and is the longest running host for Darkness._

_The first deed Dark Swan did was killing her own father with his sword and cursing her own mother._

Regina takes a shuddering breath, she felt like this was an invasion of privacy somehow. Killing her own father? Was Odile capable of something like this? Perhaps Regina was biased. She reads through various things such as The Legend of Odile and the Lake Of Odile.

_Lake of Odile._

_Hundreds of years ago, Lake Jupiter used to be the cleanest river with one of the biggest civilisations to ever exist. Dark Swan learnt everything there was to ever learn from that civilisation and then made two different vials- black liquid and a transparent one._

_Releasing the black one in the air and transparent one in the water, she waited.  
_

_The air soon started turning misty black. People started coughing and grew thirsty, when the wells and lakes had dried out, people started drinking the water from Lake Jupiter. Once the water had made contact with their stomachs, their entire bodies exploded with guts and blood started swimming in the water._

_The black mist made it impossible to see anything and people did not realise how every single parched person went to the bloody lake and drank water and got their bodies exploded into shreds._

_Once everyone had died, the Dark One let the black mist get absorbed in the maroon coloured water._

_Somehow Dark Swan had come up with a method of trapping souls from the water, she filled a huge jug of unbidden source of power and trapped the soul for her selfish use._

_The flowing river, to this day is maroon red and hence renamed Lake of Odile._

Regina's shaking hands kept the book back, although there were more couple pages about her wife, she had read enough for now.

Calling for Cynfael, she tried her hardest to make her shaking legs get back to walking.

The woman who was unsure about how to comfort her own wife killed people so mercilessly. Would Odile kill her too if Regina as much as asks for her freedom?

She took a big gulp of air and continued reading other books about realms, especially Land Without Magic, shadow realm, wonderland, Land of Untold Stories, black and white land, Paper realm and her very own- Enchanted forest.

She read about the story of the Dark Dagger which looked like a tadpole tail to be honest, of how the darkness can take on a host. And on the dagger the real name of the host is carved.

With a solid headache brewing behind her eyes, Regina's eyes fall in the setting sun and she tries her hardest not to think about the picture of Odile in the book. With black eyes and red pupils, a sneer on her face and dressed in a leather jacket with her hair tied in usual top bun. A black sword in her hand, standing proudly over piled dead bodies.

This was not the time to be afraid, Regina chastised herself.

The Queen of Darkness resists the urge to turn around and lock herself in the library when she sees her family sitting in the main hall.

'Regina, sweetheart, have a seat.' Regina squinted suspiciously at her mother and takes a seat. Her mother's hair looked like a rats nest now that it was burnt halfway to neck. Regina decides that she will give extra brownie to Cynfael for this.

If the fact that Cora was smiling wasn't a bit eerie then the sight of Zelena smiling at her was a dead giveaway that something was either wrong, or about to go down.

'I visited the Blind Witch today.' Cora motions for Regina to drink tea but she doesn't touch the teacup, it could be poisoned and she wouldn't know. Although the fact that Mulan was standing right behind her did give her some moral support.

'She told me she can free you from the marriage with the Dark One.' Cora does something she never did before, she splays a hand atop Regina's and smiles lovingly.

She can smile so affectionately? Regina had no idea.

Henry looks delighted at the prospect and is already halfway to making this deal when Regina shuts his cake hole.

'all due respect father, your eagerness to deal is the reason why we are in this situation so I warn you about making deals which have anything to do with me.'

Cora frowns at Regina but continues, 'she has told that she can procure a magic bean which can take you through a portal to Land Without Magic where Odile can never find you.'

Regina raises her eyebrows and simply urges her mother to continue her argument. Cora continues, 'we can give you the knowledge of that land and all the amenities necessary and you can live a life you have always wished for.'

Regina scoffs, 'and what does the Witch want in return?'

Zelena and Cora share a glance and Regina is close to throwing her hand in the air.

'A vial of Odile's blood.'

'And let me guess.' Regina makes a thinking face, 'you want me to get it?'

'This is a good deal Regina, you can get away from that monster.' Henry claims and Cynfael suddenly wipes his wing on Henry's pants. Regina tries not to chuckle.

It seems Henry had lost all the respect from Cynfael and rightfully so.

'Let's go, Cynfael. It seems my father is well enough.' She gets up and tries not to smirk at the matching triple dropped jaw.

'I need to go back to my dearest wife. 'Cora tries to argue and Regina quickly shuts her down with her raised hand.

'I know you, Cora. You just loathe the fact that I am more powerful than you ever could be. And Zelena will try to sink her claws in on my wife. But princess, Odile does not like defected goods like yourself.'

Cynfael flaps his wings subtly causing Regina's cape to give a dramatic whoosh and a powerful exist.


	11. Home Sweet Home

10\. Home Sweet Home

When the carriage materialises out of thin air at the Dark Palace in grey and black mist Regina lets out a watery laugh, despite seeing Graham just seconds ago, she misses him. She misses his chubby arms and chocolate covered kisses. She misses how he would hug her leg and not let go the whole day.

Wiping the tears, she slides the curtain to look outside and smiles at the sight.

Odile is standing right in front of the huge palace doors with all the cloaks and servants to welcome their Queen.

Theres a small pull at the side of Odile’s lips which looks awfully like smile and Regina throws open the door and struts to her palace and greets her wife, embraces her by pressing herself into the warm body. Regina wraps her arms around Odile’s chest and palms the back which immediacy turns Swan lax. Odile audibly gulps and freezes with her hands still behind her back, whether she should embrace her back of not. Regina inhales the lavender and musk in, which she had started to like and find comfort in.

‘W-welcome back, my queen.’ Theres unmistakable relief in Swan’s eyes which makes Regina smile bashfully. Regina presses a soft kiss on Odile’s jaw and watches Odile blank completely. The Darkest entity in the universe blinks and stands there like an idiot and guides her wife inside the warm palace and into her bedchambers. Regina’s eyes light up at the sight of her pristine chamber, god she truly missed her bed and bath.

‘Why were you crying?’

‘I said goodbye to Graham.’ She nods as if she understands but they both know she doesn’t. ‘Odile?’

‘Yes?’

‘Could we have a small picnic near the lake? Just you and me?’

Odile looks behind stupidly, as if her wife would ask someone else to go. ‘m-me? And you? Together? Alone? Picnic? Okay.’  
Regina laughs and splays her hand on the Dark Ones arm and squeezes, her heart shutters feeling firm and lean muscles. Her wife was fit, no surprise there.

‘Just send Cynfael to me when you are ready to go.’ They enter the bedchamber chamber and Odile presses a soft kiss on Regina’s hand which causes her to gasp. ‘I’ll see you later.’

()

Regina giggled as Odile transforms a parchment paper into a swan, she looks up at Odile and feels her heart race as her wife presses the tip of her tongue to the side of her lips in concentration. Origami, she explained to the Queen.

They were sitting near the lake under a blue sheet which was held in place by magic and both of them leaning their back against the tree and a piece of apple pie on their lap.  
Odile continued making things with origami which made Regina smile, she scoots closer to Odile and shivers when a particular wind blows cold against her. Odile quickly summons a thick red sheet and drapes it over her wife.

‘Are you not cold?’ Regina opens one side of the sheet invitingly and Odile stiffly gets in. The darkest entity in the creation had absolutely no game with woman apparently. After all she doesn’t remember any of the Dark One’s getting married too.

‘Regina? If you could, would you still like to live with your parents?’

Regina would’ve said yes, if asked a week ago. ‘No. living there was a burden, Odile.’

She squeezes her wife’s arm and sniffs, ‘Mother would use magic to teach me discipline, if I as much as stepped a toe over the line. Zelena would exaggerate and tattle to mother, enjoying when my mother would magically hurt me. Father would be busy with matters of the kingdom, but he would always play a game of chess with me every night.’  
Odile, ever so afraid to touch her wife wraps her hand on Regina’s shoulder, feeling anger course through her vein. She should’ve finished Cora then and there.

  
‘So that day you tried to run away-‘

  
‘It wasn’t just because I had to marry you. I was tired of everything- of being pressurized, of being used as a punching bag. My mother would micromanage everything. The last man who tried to court me, my mother s-she....’

Odile patted her on the head to comfort and Regina gives a watery laugh and shoves Odile, ‘I’m not a dog.’

‘This is how to comfort your wife, Odile.’ The dropped octave was unintentional but the way jade-grey eyes turned slightly darker, Regina knew she had touched something.

Regina pressed herself to Swan’s side and revelled in how the hand on her shoulder dropped to her waist and tightened. She happily tucked her head in Odile’s shirt clad shoulder.

‘Good to know.’ Odile whispers in brown locks, pressing a lips against her forehead, Regina holds the soft shaking palm and squeezes- the silent ‘it’s okay, it’s just me’ Is enough to calm Odile down .Although Regina had never hugged someone this impossibly close she enjoys this safety too much and falls asleep while Odile hums.

()

Regina panted and dropped to her knees, regretting her decision. What was she thinking? The queen shouldn’t have challenged Odile for a swordfight. Her sword felt so heavy in her arms right now, the intricate details and the ‘Queen’ written on it was shining from the afternoon sun.

‘How do you-’ she wheezes and uses her sword to get up.

‘I’ve killed villages in one sitting, Regina. This is nothing. You need to focus.’ Odile, quick and light on feet jumps side to side. Show off.

‘I am trying-’ she will not wobble weakly, but oh god, the grass below her looks so soft right now. Maybe she could just-

‘No, you’re not.’ Odile shakes her head. ‘Think of something that makes you angry. Think about your mother, sister’

  
Wiping the sweat off her forehead, Regina raises her blade with both her hands and tries to land a blow which Odile dodges with a single hand.

‘Think of me.’ Odile points the tip of the sword at her and Regina is suddenly reminded of the savage in the pictures and the stories she has read.

‘You were made to marry me in a deal! Married off to save your kingdom from dying. Your family gave you off despite knowing I’m a monster!’

Every sentence is met with strong blow and Odile gives a side smile and blocks every one with a small praise. ‘Very good.’ ‘Hit harder’ ‘keep your wrist loose, tight fist, Queen.’

Regina jumps when Odile’s blade slays and cuts the overgrown grasses under her feet. They continue to par and dodge until Regina is too tired to even move.

Regina falls on her knees and face plants, a small pillow appears in nick of time and saves her beautiful face from hurting. ‘You can’t sleep here, you know’

‘Bite me.’ Regina retorts and Odile raises her eyebrows looking at her wife whose face first into the picnic sheet and panting.

‘You wouldn’t like it when I do.’ It takes Regina an entire minute to comprehend and when she does, a black mist covers her and plops her in the bedchambers where her maids are already picking out her nightgown and getting the queen ready for bath. Oh come on, was Odile flirting? Regina shook her head, maybe she’s too tired.

After a much needed bath and a snack (ice cream-big surprise) she walks up to her little dragon’s small bed and furrows her eyebrows at the familiar crocodile leather book. Oh, dear god…

‘Cynfael did you steal that book?’ Cynfael doesn’t look any bit ashamed and he shows his thieving pile to her which consists of books. ‘You little hoarder.’

His grin is so wide and proud that Regina can’t help but grin at him, ‘you little menace.’

Flicking on a light Regina opens the book where she had left off.

_Every Dark One gets a unique ability when their soul combines with the darkness. Zoso had the power to transform himself into any person and deception. Rumpelstiltskin had the power of seeing the future but the most dangerous and threatening is Odile Swan’s powers._

She doesn’t like where this is going already.

_Odile Swan had mastered the craft of shapeshifting into any animal to her liking, not only which, she could transform herself into hybrids which was only ever read about in folklore._

_Three centuries ago, the Dark Forest was known to have a creature who had the body of a huge grizzly bear and a long tail of a snake. The locals, hunters, sorceress whenever tried to cross the forest this hybrid would rip them in such small pieces that nobody could find their body._

The small crude sketch of the hybrid had Regina gulping. Blood red eyes and a huge grizzly bear with sharp claws and ten foot moss-green tail. It looked hideous, and terrifying. The bear also had a bifurcated tongue, which did not quell any of her fear. It was hard to believe this was Odile, her blonde wife.

_Sorceresses and Kings came up with a way to use underground for transportation since the hybrid was too big to go underground. The path was made without any difficulties, within seventeen days the tunnel was constructed and the king’s army was ready to cross._

_It was assumed that Dark Odile was unaware of the tunnel when a minute number of people passed by, but when the king and his humongous army of thirty-six thousand men attempted to pass by the tunnel a new hybrid made itself know deep underground._

_The king was the only one spared alive, rest of all his army had been hunted, eaten, mutilated and used as a bait. The king told the tale with only one eye and one hand attached to his body; he said the hybrid was humongous burrowing creature with thousands of legs and a long snake’s tail. It was a hybrid of centipede and a snake._

Regina rubbed her temples and wanted desperately wanted to close the book, the fear in her body was not willing to go at all.

The drawing was indeed scary, in the darkened tunnel only lamps were the source of light but the huge maroon eyes coiled in the middle of the tunnel with half its body already poised to attack, thousands of legs already grabbing and piercing its victims and tall moss-green tail which shunted the running soldiers.

Her shaking hands flipped the page and when a small wing sat atop her trembling hand, she smiled. Cynfael blinked up at her in worry and she assured him that she was fine. He did try to grab the book by his teeth so he could throw it away because it upset his playmate but Regina was firm this time. He sulked sitting on Regina’s back and she continued reading.

_No one ever tried to rush into the Forest of Death, Legend says that people can still hear murderous screams and wails of the victims killed brutally by Odile Swan._

‘Your majesty, dinners ready.’ Regina slammed the book shut and sat up in a hurry, watched in ultimate horror as her little dragon tumbled off of her.

‘Cyn,’ she gasped, reaching out to him. ‘Baby are you okay?’

He shakes the fall off and sits back on Regina’s back, wiggling and urging to toss him off her. She groans and fall face first in the sheets. ‘You little menace.’

()

  
‘How’re you feeling?’ the hair on Regina’s arm raise and she tries not to flinch when Odile places her confident hand on her shoulder. The smile on Swan’s face gets wiped clean when Regina flinches away, she blinks and pulls her hand back, stung.

Without a single word, she steps away from the Queen and takes her seat and eats, without a single word, not even when Regina tries to catch her eyes.

‘Your majesty, your birth-’ Jon starts and Regina’s ears perk up, birth-what, birth-mother? Birthday?

‘No need Jon.’ Odile waves him off, eyes anywhere but on her wife. ‘Theres no need for that. Dinner was delicious.’

Odile stands up and walks out of the room without as much as a good night to Regina.

She curses and drops her spoon back in her soup and follows Swan. ‘Odile! Wait!’

She huffs when Odile turns a corner and disappears.

‘Super.’ Regina turns around and blinks as Cynfael stumbles towards her whilst balancing her unfinished bowl of soup on his head.

Maybe she shouldn’t have read all that stuff. After all one simply doesn’t become the most feared Dark One by giving unicorn kisses and hugs.

She promises to seek her wife out tomorrow.


	12. Dark One's weakness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick Question: is this chapter fluff or teasing for you guys? ;)  
> Also, I thought I should give u guys something before the shit storm

11\. Dark One’s weakness.

She had already planned the things she could do to apologize to Odile. After all Regina was the one to initiate touches and let Odile know it was okay, of course Odile would think that after yesterday Regina had grown uncomfortable.

The morning starts with Regina picking the most beautiful flower from the garden she tends, an apple from Reina and she waited for Odile to show up for breakfast.

Regina embraces Odile at once and presses a soft and long kiss on the Dark One’s jaw. A very confused Odile looks down at her and she shoves the flower in Swan’s chest who just looks suspiciously at her wife. 

Regina wanted to kiss the small furrow in her eyebrows but refrains and simply greets, ‘Good morning, Odile.’

‘Morning, My Queen.’ Odile hides her yawn with the back of her hand and pulls away and takes a seat and eats calmly.

Regina’s legs tap under the table and she chastises herself for being so blind. After all, every time a new dish is presented for breakfast, Odile makes it a point of letting Regina know about it if it belongs from another realm. Then why doesn’t Odile initiate a conversation when they have a mid-eastern dish today.

Regina wanted to throw something. Little Cynfael decides to steal Odile’s orange juice and she just stares at him as he hold up the glass with his two wings and guzzles the juice in one breath and burps cutely.

Regina chuckles and Odile clicks her fingers once and produces a glass of smoothie for him and tells him inflexibly to finish it and he looks back at Regina for some support and she looks helplessly back. There was nothing she could do! Damn Cynfael and his puppy-eyes and little pout!

()

Regina huffs and Cynfael huffs back at her, wings cross across his chest as if he was giving her teenage attitude. ‘Come on, do this for me.’

He shakes his little head, ‘if you don’t do this I will not tuck you in and tell you stories.’

Begrudged, he takes the small bag and flies off from her balcony to Odile, she crosses her fingers hoping the chocolate cake she made might lull Odile to her bedchambers.

()

Dinner was a quiet affair and Regina with a hopeful gaze looked at Odile after almost every spoon of her stew, but Odile has a long parchment in her hand and a gold quill with feathers. Odile continues reading and changing things with her magic in the contract and magically eat the stew slowly.

‘What did you do today, Odile?’

Odile looks at Regina with narrowed eyes, Regina never starts a conversation. ‘Just a couple deals in the village.’

Except for the fact she switched two babies at birth and also took a bit of the father’s blood without him knowing. Odile made a so-so gesture, there was absolutely no reason to trouble her wife with gory details.

Once done with everything, Regina quickly jumps and grips her wife before she can make her exit. Without a single word, The Queen of Darkness guides her slightly confused-curious and suspicious wife to her bedchambers.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Whatever for?’ Odile maintains her distance and Regina wants to bash her head to the nearest wall.

‘I was feeling unwell yesterday after sword practise and slightly sore, that’s why....’ 

Odile shrugs in her usual, ‘thats completely fine’ gesture and Regina snaps her fingers as a cloak brings a big tray with two pristine plates of chocolate cake and Odile looks uninterested but her eyes twinkle and Regina smiles.

Chocolate cake apparently is a weakness to the long running host. Regina felt like this was a secret she had to protect from anyone else knowing.  
She could already imagine an enemy tempting the Dark One with chocolate cake and extract all the secrets. She could not let that happen.

Giving a slight shove to the Darkest Entity they both sat together on the bed against the headboard with the tray on laps.

Intertwining their fingers Regina pressed a soft kiss on the curve of Odile’s alluring neck and muttered, ‘I’m sorry.’

They ate their cakes while Regina told how Jon taught her how to make the cake, Odile listened with a smile. Even though she was the one who taught Jon how to make her favourite cake.

‘Tomorrow is your birthday, isn’t it?’ Odile paused and nodded in a dismissive gesture and grinds her teeth when Regina’s soft lips graze her neck, fortunately or unfortunately her lips stay on Odile’s neck and ear pressed against the soft muscle above her collarbone. ‘Will you be home? We could go out and do whatever you like to do in your free time, except kill people, please.’

Giving a husky chuckle, Swan tightened her grip on Regina’s waist and squeezed softly causing Regina to gasps softly in her neck, cakes polished off the plate.

‘I usually spend my birthday lounging around the castle. Some people come over to get a good deal thinking I’d be in a good mood. Humans are really predictable creatures, repetitive pattern of behaviour for centuries.’

‘Can I ask you something?’

‘You may but don’t expect me to answer.’ Regina rolls her eyes at Odile. She was always so curt with words.

‘All Dark Ones have shimmering scaly skin they develop with time, why don’t you have it.’

‘Someone’s been doing some reading....’ Odile teases but purses her lips in thought. Regina presses herself against her wife’s side, as if she was going to get a story time. Regina was comfortably tucked with her cheek rubbing softly against the cotton shirt Odile wore. 

‘Darkness always has a way of making itself known. The previous hosts were not compatible with the darkness, or I can say that they were not perfect vessel. As a result, darkness started leaking through their pores but I was born with potential for the darkest heart. The people who gave birth to me were true loves which means I had magic before I even took the power of Dark One.’

‘How old were you when you took the power?’ Regina tilted her head and kisses the hollow of Odile’s neck, hands playing with the sides of the thin shirt, she could feel taut muscles jump and smiled shyly.

‘I was 28 when I took the power from Crocodile.’ Odile stroked Regina’s hair and gulped harshly at the woman beside her. Why would a woman like Regina be so close to her with her eyes closed was beyond her. She was glad Cynfael made himself scarce, possibly harassing Jon and Mulan for chicken and fetch. Or Merida for Storytime.

Regina hummed in content and shifted over on Odile, enjoying how gentle fingers massaged her scalp, she had never been treated this way and she was enjoying this tremendously. 

Odile’s lip pressed on her high cheek bones and she blushed deep red, ‘can we spend the day tomorrow together?’

‘You do know I’m centuries old, don’t you?’

Regina huffs and pulls back, sitting but Odile chuckles and presses a kiss to her cheek. Odile desperately goes through her memories and tries to remember what it felt like to touch someone. 

Odile trails her lips to Regina’s neck and smiles when Regina gives a small whimper and cute gasp.

‘stay’ Regina whispers a single word and Odile smiles, continuously stroking Regina’s hair and back lulling her to sleep while Regina snores on her chest.

()

Regina’s eyes narrow. That woman is standing too close to Odile, that’s the first thing Regina’s brain supplies. Regina also wanted to be the first to wish her ‘happy birthday’ but this stranger beat her at that. She was already grumpy because of waking up alone and missing the feeling of soft pink lips pressed under jaw.

Odile’s her wife, which gives her right to be slightly territorial, no?

The thin thread of patience broke when the woman embraced Odile and pressed affectionate kiss against her platinum hair. That’s it.

Regina cleared her throat pointedly and was about to narrow her eyes and inquire about the new friend¬ when Odile immediately offered her hand to Regina and wrapped her arm on Regina’s waist.

‘This is my Queen Regina.’ Odile’s voice is equal prideful and awed, as if she still couldn’t believe that this beautiful creature married a monster like her. ‘My queen, this is my godmother, her name is Red.’

Regina felt silly and blushed when Red pinched the Dark One’s cheeks who fumed silently, ‘You’re lucky she married your ugly mug, Swan. Lord know I thought I would die-’

‘You’re immortal, Red.’ Odile reminds her flatly.

She shakes her hand dismissively and Regina softly giggles when Odile’s face morphs in utter outrage. Regina doesn’t dare to think about what would be the repercussions if someone else dismissed the big bad Dark One.

‘I’m the darkest Entity in the creation-’

‘Let’s go Queen of Darkness and you can tell me all about my goddaughter-’

‘-People shake in fear when I step in in the battleground-’ Odile continuous but no one’s listening to her right now, Red has already guided Regina away so they could gossip.

‘How is she in the sack, by the way?’ the blanched face of her wife makes Odile want to do some serious damage.

‘RED!’ Odile huffs and questions her life choices at the moment and hears the teasing chuckle of her godmother and smiles because without this woman, she wouldn’t have been alive. She owes Red everything.

()

Red continues telling how Cynfael and Odile met and Regina listens diligently.

Apparently Odile was returning home through the huge snow-covered mountain when out of nowhere this small black ball started following her. The little Cynfael mocked Odile’s wide gait walk because she was sore from all the killings and dragging her sword behind her. The dragon made the greatest Odile fall once flat on her floor by tripping her with his small wings.

He followed her through the toughest storm by huddling right outside her tent shivering in minus thirty degree Celsius.

Regina’s heart broke for her little baby.

‘Odile fed him chicken once and since then he’s been with her. That was seventeen centuries ago. She protected him when hunters tried to hunt him down. She burnt all the hunters to crisp right where they stood. Swan didn’t spare anyone, not even the hunters’ little kids, not the pregnant woman either.’

Red continued, ‘Odile later found out that hunters hunted his entire family and murdered them brutally, the little rebel escaped and they let him go because he was a couple days old and they thought he’d die in such cold weather.’

Regina chokes back her tears. She didn’t know what she’d do without Cynfael in her life, she couldn’t imagine her life without the little hoarder following her around. God, she wouldn’t have been able to stand up to her mother or see how gentle Odile could be if she wanted too. She decides that she will tell him extra bedtime story for being such a good boy.

Cynfael squawks disbelievingly above them and zooms like a rocket in Red’s lap, making both of them fall in the ground. Regina watches as Red and Cynfael touch their foreheads together and hold onto each other.

()

Regina looked at the sleeping Cynfael, her poor baby had shed tears when Red said goodbye to him. She gently picked him from her chest and laid him beside her.

‘Odile.’  
She murmured once and her wife materialised in front of the bed in seconds, she immediately jumped in Dark One’s arms and held Odile close, pressed her lips to the blonde’s cheek and stops herself from sobbing.

‘What is it?’

‘Thank you for Cynfael.’ Odile smiles and looks at the little ball sleeping on Regina’s bed. ‘Thank you, truly.’

‘Should we go to town and explore like normal people?’ Odile suggests and Regina nods vigorously.

Casting a strong glamour spell on both of them, they venture into town wearing common attire. Odile had transformed himself into a man, Regina had gulped at the hard muscles on her husband’s body. She’s gonna have to beat woman away with sticks for this man, she thought. Despite rugged and slightly dirty appearance Odile was taller and had a blonde beard but her green-eyes remained the same.

They go to the nearest market and Odile entwined their fingers together which made Regina giddy. A strong hand around Regina’s waist at all the times and Regina dares to think this is how she wanted to be with her partner. Happy and content, enjoying things together. The sudden urge to kiss her wife was increasing and slammed that thought right there. Regina bought a small pendant with emerald stone as a birthday gift.

It’s safe to say, Odile wore the cheap steel necklace around her neck without any hesitation. It was probably the only present she had gotten aside from Red’s in her entire reign as Dark One which had no selfish reasons behind it.

And the only present that mattered to her right now.

After lots of smiles and giggles from Regina’s side, Odile let her go into the shop alone. She did keep an eyes on her wife though.

‘Never seen you here before.’ The guy sitting beside her spoke and she turned her voice to the most deep she could. ‘We’re passing through.’

‘Stuck here because of your bitch too, huh?’ the skinny whispered. God, he was one of those. Odile rolled her eyes.

‘I don’t know about yours but my wife has always been an adventurer.’ Odile cracked her neck threateningly and flexed his arms. Warning number one.

Regina peaked out and crooked her finger, calling and asking for permission whether she could buy it or not. Odile nods at whatever she’s buying and Regina gives an eye-blinding smile.

Standing up, without acknowledging the guy who is busy looking at Regina than his own wife. Despite giving her wife a very normal face men still ogled her, perhaps she should’ve changed Regina’s petite figure too. She truly was a sight to behold.

Odile’s jaw clenches and he buys the items she brought – a ring and a shawl. Odile grabs hold of her when she moves to walk away and presses her lips to the corner of Regina’s mouth who gasps and lets out a small puff of breath. Regina’s mind blanks feeling soft beard tickle her and wraps her arms around the biceps (which barely fits her hands) and together, hand in hand they walk off. Lips and skin tingling. Smiling like Cheshire cats.

()

Regina’s head thuds back on the bark of the tree while Odile (in her true feminine form) peppers kisses on her jaw and neck, she feels the Dark One smile against the soft skin that pulses. Her hands are gripping onto the blonde for her balance. 

‘So beautiful.’ She feels the words whispered on her jaw. The trail of kisses continue on her jawline, a kiss on the corner of her mouth and she holds her breath for the next kiss.

Pale hands stay comfortingly around her waist. Regina doesn’t remember how they ended up in this position, against Reina where butterflies are dancing around them and wind cooling down her slightly heating skin. Her legs are together against the hard bark and hands fisted on the front of Odile’s linen shirt. Odile towering over with slightly wider gait to keep them pressed together.

She remembers how Odile kisses her hand with a small mutter, ‘such soft hands.’

A series of kisses rained down upon her, to her arms inducing Goosebumps all over, on her open shoulder and collarbone with a slight soft nip. Odile showered kisses all over her neck while her fingers traced the path with her soft fingertips.

By the time kisses stopped, Regina was panting with her chest rising and falling in the euphoric feeling, she looked through her blurry visions how Odile admired her beauty.

‘I’m sorry.’ Odile stepped away but Regina immediately pulled her close and lets their forehead rest together. 

‘Don’t be, please.’

‘How could you let someone like me touch you?’ theres nothing but confusion in Odile’s voice. ‘You don’t know the things I’ve done, you don’t know anything about me, then why.’

Why? 

‘You protected me from my mother.’ Regina smooths the frown lines between her brows with her fingers. ‘This might not be the way I wanted to get married, yes. I dreamed about a certain things, but you treat me as equal, nothing like the men who tried courting me.’

‘And yes, I know nothing about you but we can take our time....’ Regina feels strong heartbeat under her fingertips. 

‘I’ve heard terrible stories about you.’ Odile freezes in her arms but she rubs her back soothingly, ‘but when I look at you. I don’t see a monster. I see you.’


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My exams have postponed a bit. This chapter was supposed to have more stuff but it doesn't because I don't have a laptop right now  
> So I'm typing on my phone. I never knew typing on phone could be stressful!!! Sorry for such a short update :(  
> And no, when I said shit storm, this isn't that. I didn't want u guys to suffer because I don't have a laptop. So here u go.

12\. 

Regina stretched and stopped when she felt nothing but cold sheets around her. Her eyes fluttered briefly at the morning sun peeking through the curtains and she pouts.

‘Don’t pout, you rival Cynfael in cuteness.’ Odile sounded amused.

With her eyes still closed Regina smiles at Odile’s voice and sits up, her eyes immediately zeroing on her wife who is hand-standing on her right while left is behind her back. She has blindfold on her, but that’s not what grabs Regina’s attention. It’s the fact that her wife is in black tank top and loose soldier pants. 

Regina knew Odile was fit but this fit? Oh no, she did not know it and neither felt it last night. She could see faint hint of hard abdominal muscles and strong v-line which might’ve made her drool a bit. ‘Why aren’t you in bed?’

‘Meditating.’ Odile still doesn’t take off her blindfolds, her face red from all the blood flow to the head. ‘It keeps me focused.’

‘And that was more important than cuddling with your wife?’ Regina raises an eyebrow and Odile chuckles.

‘I have trouble sleeping. Meditation helps.’

Opening her arms, Regina waits calmly, assessing. She had an inkling that Dark one didn’t reply on her eyes to see things. It was a lot of things.

Shaking her head, with a grace of her last name Odile stands back on her feet and wipes her sweat off and clicks her finger dressing herself and sweat-free. Regina pouts again when her free show gets cut short. 

And why shouldn’t she, Odile is her wife. Yes Zelena, suck on that; I married the big bad wolf of the universe and you ended up with a bun in an oven. Regina could feel her chin tilting proudly.

Regina sat with her elbows on her knees and waited impatiently for Odile, Swan takes of her blind fold and lets it hang around her neck. She doesn’t miss a beat and presses a kiss on Regina’s forehead. It made her blush, reminding too much of the dinner date in the garden surrounded by hundreds of flowers.

Regina being an absolute cupcake, wraps her arms around the blonde and falls backwards taking her wife with her.

‘Are you always playful in the morning?’ Odile huffs.

Regina doesn’t say anything just sighs with her eyes closed and breathes in her wife. This was her new favourite thing to do, embrace Odile. 

Her eyes flutter shut when Odile plants kisses on her neck, she tilts it to give more space and Odile doesn’t disappoint. Her entire neck becomes a canvas for Odile, nipping softly and dragging her lips to the soft and perfumed skin to hearts content.

Odile could feel Regina’s heart racing and presses their bodies together. Regina murmurs, ‘best way to wake up.’

Odile laughs and Regina tightens her grip when Odile presses soft feather light kisses on her face. Regina waits with baited breath to feel touch of lips on her own.

‘Would you be angry if I kiss you?’ Regina opens her eyes and looks directly at the face which is hovering above her own. Up close she could see red eye bags and bloodshot eyes with darkness flowing through some of the veins in the eyes. With green-grey pupils, there were black lines too. It was hard for her to remember that darkness was inside her wife. 

It was hard for Regina to see a completely tired Odile staggering towards the palace with her shoulders slumped and dried blood spatters and droplets on the body.

Regina touches her thumb on the raw skin of Odile’s under eye where she must’ve rubbed too harshly, the place flutters under her fingertips.

‘Kiss me, please’ her voice is still hoarse and husky from sleep which does things to Odile.

She expected their lips to be slammed together and devoured like a parched woman but no, at first theres a soft pressure of thin pink lips on hers and she lets out the breath she didn’t knew she was holding. Her eyes flutter shut, sparking other senses.

Thin lips pamper her own and Regina follows lead, her inexperience does not bother either one. Her hands still hold onto Odile’s face, her heart skips a beat when she feels a soft press of Odile’s weight, she knew Odile was still holding herself up. 

They kisses softly until the sun was out and they were out of breath. Odile vowed this was the best thing happened to her in a long time.

‘I don’t want to get up.’ Regina did not let go of her wife. ‘We can stay in the bed all day and-’ 

‘Kiss?’ Odile teases and Regina just huffs. There was nothing wrong with kissing your wife! ‘But I have to go, My Queen.’

Regina stood up grumpily and calls for her maids to run her a bath, all while muttering, ‘stupid deals with stupid people and stupider idiots.’

She could hear Odile laughing in the bed and smiled, looking at the risen sun through the glass.

()  
Cynfael had apparently slept in his room (she didn’t knew Cynfael had his own room) and found him snoring fire. 

Snoring fire! When he breathed out a small spurt of fire would come alive and go back in his mouth when he breathed in.

‘Dangerous.’ She mutters and slides in the warm covers, sing-songs, ‘wake up, my little thief.’

She wasn’t even slightly bit ashamed to pamper and coddle him, he woke up with a startled squeak and wrapped his sleepy body around Regina’s middle. Cynfael immediately buried his nose in Regina’s neck and whined.

‘Nope, get up. We have lots of things to do today, my little fire-breather.’

They both had big day ahead of them, indeed.

They ended up getting massaged which took longer than she had hoped for simply because every time the masseuse would touch Queen’s back, Cynfael would growl. It took her twenty minutes to convince Cynfael that she was completely unharmed. 

Cynfael did end up being too curious and dipping his hand in the tasty looking puree that was being applied to Regina’s body but spits it out when it’s too bitter.

Regina gives him a Popsicle for being a good boy.  
Regina painted Cynfael talons purple (his choice) and her own nails blood red. 

The little dragon sat on Regina’s bed and wiggled his talons with a big grin on his face. Clearly enjoying the prince-like treatment. He flutters his wings giddily.

She waited for the paint to dry and then applied light lipstick to her pouty lips. Her golden skin shimmered dusky pink in soft sunlight.  
She felt euphoric. She is glad she didn’t take the Blind Witch deal.

‘Oh, shoot.’ She messes her mascara and gives out a small laugh at her reflection and keeps her face close so she doesn’t mess it up this time, ‘What are you doing to me, Odile?’

For a second she thinks her vision grew blurry but it’s not her eyes, it’s the mirror. She jumps back with a yelp and scrunches her eyebrows when Odile’s laugh filters through.

It takes her another second to pinpoint that there is someone else laughing with her. A woman.

The mirror shows Odile relaxed on a chair in what looks like the inside of a ship. There’s a woman sitting right in front of her, leaning over the table, serving Odile another whiskey.

Her eyes turn into slits when she can see the other woman’s face. 

Olive skin contrasting an angel shade of blue dress with deep cleavage, leaning over to wink and her wife traces the rim of the glass with darkness swirling mildly in her eyes.

‘So, what the verdict?’ the brunette woman literally purrs. Cynfael thinks Regina is gonna pop a vessel, ever so softly he stands behind her legs and watches.

‘Your whiskey has always been a true treat to consume, Ursula.’ Odile doesn’t take off her eyes off this _Ursula_.

Ursula, Regina fumes. Doesn’t that big ring on the dark One’s finger tell her she’s married?. Wait hold- Where's the ring? 

Ursula takes a seat on the table right beside next to Swan, her hip and Odile’s forearm touching. Her wife’s eyes snap down from her face and look at the soft contact.

‘Do we have a deal, your majesty?’ Ursula places her hand on the biceps she just held onto this morning.

The mascara snaps in two in her hands and Cynfael jumps at the sound.

‘Repeat the deal.’ Odile orders and stands up from her seat and stands too close to the octopus-lady, her hand caging Ursula. Regina growls.

‘The vial of his blood and a bottle of my finest whiskey in exchange for a single night with yours truly.’

Regina’s eyes water and she blinks rapidly. This is not happening. Just no.

Ursula’s dark eyes flick very briefly down to the thin pink lips where a tongue peaks out teasingly. 

Regina was gonna kill the sea bitch. Her first murder.

‘Where’s my part of the deal?’ Ursula rolls her eyes and summons the two things. Odile inspects and then transports it back to her safe at the castle.

Ursula waves her fingers and Odile looks away from her when the morning light changes into evening and the dark one huskily chuckles.

‘Such impatience.’ She tuts and Ursula runs a hand on the front of leather jacket. ‘Not good for the Sea Queen.’

‘That absolute....’ Cynfael wraps his tail around Regina’s waist and holds her back in case she tries to run into the mirror.

‘You can’t blame me, darling.’ They are a breath apart and Odile’s eyes have gone pitch black. ‘I’ve been dying to get my hands on you for a while now. It makes sense doesn't it? Destroyer of Lands and a Sea Queen..’

‘Where’s my part of the deal? I’ve been dying to feel this.’ She squeezes a bicep while her other hand is settled on the fine abdominal muscles. 

How dare that little bitch! Even Regina hadn’t gotten a chance to even touch those hard pecs and this octo-pussy thinks she could? It doesn't matter, The Dark One's her wife, it's her right. On her dead body will Regina let this sea creature dig her tentacles in her wife. 

Odile eyes her figure slowly, with a crooked smile and place her hands on the brunette’s hip and they both disappear in the plume of grey smoke.

The last thing Regina sees before she throws her mascara wand is Ursula wrapping one of leg around The Dark one.


	14. A Queenly Wrath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still uploading from my phone. the para's look big on the phone but i have no idea how they look on laptop.

13\. A Queenly Wrath.

There was something wrong, Odile notices at the dinner time. First off, Cynfael is staring at her as if he wants to say something but his eyes keeps flicking to Regina. Second, Regina is using too much force to cut her steak- Odile had a feeling Regina imagined someone’s head in her plate and while cutting. She flexes her fist, the dark blue drops still running through her veins made her sweaty and dizzy.

Her gaze was slightly unfocused since she opened a portal and passed out on her own bed. But there was absolutely no reason she could remember why Regina was ignoring the all-powerful entity. It kind of irked her, the world was terrified of her but this woman had been glaring daggers ever since she came down for dinner.

Regina did not kiss her. There was acknowledgement. If Odile didn’t know any better she’d say that the kiss day before yesterday didn’t happen. 

But Regina was calm. Almost too calm. Odile did a double check to see if this was her wife and not an imposter. Yes, it was her wife.

‘What did you do today, My Queen?’

Regina eyes her darkly over her glass of water, ‘practicing on how to fillet all types of fishes.’

Odile blinks and nods uncertainly, ‘that’s a great skill to have?’

‘What did you do? You weren’t home yesterday night.’

‘I was in another realm for a deal.’

‘Pleasurable?’ Cynfael tugs on her dress before she chucks her knife on her wife. She doesn’t care right now that her wife is all-powerful invincible Dark one. Right now she’s her wife.

‘Yes, it always is.’ Damn it, she’s making it so hard for Regina to not chuck her knife.

Regina abruptly stood up and slammed her cutlery down and sauntered off, ‘I’m not hungry anymore.’

Cynfael, her loyal guardian mimics her angry walk and walks behind his Queen. Odile, still dizzy and unfocused just nods and poofs herself to bed, too sick to eat.

God maybe she shouldn’t have taken a chance of breathing in squid ink, she did end up puking her guts.

-

Odile did spend a long time in a cold bath and perfumed vapours under her nose, till the next morning to be precise.

She did not attend breakfast and caused her Queen to fume even more. Cynfael thought Regina would turn into a fire breathing dragon and burn the entire palace to crisp. He puffed out his chest, maybe then he could fly on Regina’s back like he did with his family. 

‘Why so glum, my little hoarder?’ Regina picked him off the floor and kissed his head until he was a giggling happy boy.

‘Your majesty?’ one of her maid curtsied and spoke when the queen nodded, ‘Dark one would not be joining for lunch today, May I serve you lunch?’

‘Where is she?’

‘Hot springs, your majesty.’

Regina turned a full one-eighty and headed down to the ground floor, Cynfael took the shortcut and immediately flew through the small window and squawked at Odile until she woke up and startled the maid who were rubbing oil on the slightly swollen arms where squid ink had clogged.

She was sitting with her arms outstretched on the rim with her body submerged till her armpits. Chelsea made sure to rub and massage out all he knots on her mistress’s back and neck.

Regina rounded the corner and her eyes fell on the left hand which had gone pitch black with darkness swirling right beneath the surface, like an illness it sloshed towards her neck and leaf like veins originated from the jaw. Her eyes then zeroed in on the scratch marks on her left hand which had swirling black-blue stuff oozing out and getting collected in a small vial.

‘Staring is wrong, you know.’

Regina’s eyes snapped and that that deep hatred for this woman caused her to shake. ‘You’d know everything about staring, wouldn’t you?’

She whirled around and stomped off. What was she thinking? This wasn’t a fairy tale that she could cure this beast from her darkness.

Her eyes watered and throat closed, what did she expect that just one kiss from her could be antidote to this woman. She was a fool. 

It was dinner when Odile felt like her true self and immediately knocked on her wife’s door when Regina refused to come out and have dinner. What was wrong with Odile? Caring if her wife ate or not? Such a wuss for her wife. She shook her head while darkness just barked out a laugh.

‘You want to tell me why you’re upset?’ she materialized in front of the bed where a Regina-shaped lump was shaking. She frowned and pulled the sheets and motioned for  
Cynfael to remove his wings from her face. ‘Did something happen while I was gone?’

‘Yes.’ A choked voice hissed out and Odile immediately took a seat on her bed but Regina stood up from the bed and Odile noticed the blood red eyes with tear stains. She had been crying, Odile thought. Did she miss her parents? 

‘You are the reason why I’m upset!’ Regina voice shrilled in high pitch and Odile felt her jaw tick, no one talks to her that way, no one.

‘I’m such an idiot! Thinking that you could ever grow to l-’ she choked again and Odile scrunched her face up in disgust when Regina wiped her snotty nose in the handkerchief. 

‘Could you elaborate?’

‘How dare you?’ Regina made a move to punch Odile in her chest but Odile would have none of it. She grabbed the tan hands and pressed her wife against the wall while she struggled and muttered incoherently.

‘You wanna try that again, baby girl?’ Odile husked, her voice tinging on borderline angry and definitely a growl.

‘How dare you, Odile?’ Regina spat out her words, 'you made a deal and promised that octopus a whole night with you! I am your wife! You are married to me! How could you-?’ Regina’s voice congested again.

Odile’s breath hitched and she staggered back. Impossible, there was no way. But yes, Odile could see faint lines of purple emitting from her wife. Magic. How could she not have seen this before? What must have triggered this?

‘How could you let that tentacle sea bitch touch you? How could you cheat on-?’

Odile’s eyes widened when the brown russet eyes changed into onyx. She was too awed by-wait, what?

‘Huh?’ for the first time in centuries Odile stares stupidly at her wife. ‘Cheat? What are you yammering on about?’

‘I saw you in the mirror-’

‘It’s a simple mirror, it’s not possible that you can look across realms.’ Odile questioned and Regina just growls angrily. 

‘Is this what you want?’ Odile turned around just in time with her hands out in a pacifying manner. ‘Is this what your darkness craves? Sex and food?’

Odile wanted to interrupt with a soft, ‘technically…’ but thought it would just spark her wife more. Wow that ceiling looked real good, she should give that guy a call-

‘Then take from me what you want.’ Odile’s temper flares and she grabs hold of Regina’s shaking hands who tries to undo the button her dress.

‘You listen to me well because I will not repeat this again.’ Her right hand tightens around her wife’s neck had enough for Regina to know who’s the boss. ‘I may be a monster but I have never ever taken any women against her will.’

‘Me cheating? I cuffed Ursula-’

‘You keep your kinks to yourself, woman! I don’t wanna hear how you took that bitch!’ Regina struggles and tries her hardest to scratch on Odile’s porcelain skin to get out but Odile turns her face and makes her look in the eyes.

‘I did not sleep with her. The deal was to spend a night together, there was nothing in the contract that said anything about getting some.’

‘I cuffed her to the bed and spoke to her all night, I didn’t even sit on the bed.’

Regina feels mentally exhausted and wipes the tears from her face, too tired. She feels warm arms around her body and being lifted off the floor, she hums sleepily and holds onto Odile’s sleeve which makes her hiss.

‘The scratches?’ regna murmurs sleepily and Odile smiles when her wife presses her face in her chest.

‘I did it to myself, the squid ink can hurt me real bad.’

‘Are you still hurting?’ Odile shushes her and watches as her wife lets out a yawn and fall asleep while Cynfael rubs his talons together and waits patiently for his turn.

‘I’m not gonna swaddle you!’ Odile hisses and Cynfael huffs and despite Odile trying to kick him out, gets in the bed on the other side so he could cuddle Regina and stay away from Odile’s wrath. ‘You little demon!’

Odile waves a hand and dumps the little dragon in his own room. 

‘he will cuddle with _my_ wife.’ Odile huffs and puffs. ‘Little brat.’


	15. Blood

14\. Blood.

Ursula had her leg barely wrapped around Odile when the plume of grey smoke took them away. She could feel the heat from the octopus and Odile resisted the urge to wrap the tentacles around her neck and kill her then and there.

The Dark One’s hand gripped the waist tight, ready to toss her onto the bed but let out a small growl when Ursula sucked on the pulsing flesh of her neck. Odile rips her right off of her and chucks her onto the bed and pins her onto the bed with her body weight.

Ursula barely moves her hand to bury her hands in platinum blonde locks but finds herself cuffed to the bed with Celtic symbols on it.

‘Didn’t know you like to play rough, Swan.’ The darkness purrs inside her but she shoves it down. Absolutely not, she was already missing the marriage ring on her finger, she will not quench her thirst with some sea-creature. Lord knows she hated fish. 

‘The deal is to spend a night with me. I will not sleep with you, Ursula.’ The woman on the bed growls out a small ‘how could you?’ but Odile summons a chair and a cup of earl grey for her.

‘It cold down here, Ursula. Do you use a blanket or simply wrap those tentacles around you to sleep.’ She jokes cruelly and watches Ursula thrash and try to free herself.

()

By the time morning hits, Ursula had fallen asleep but Odile blinks hard, theres something changing, she figured it out. She doesn’t notice it at first due to the salty sea-smell and the weird half human and half octopus laying on the bed but yes, the darkness squeals and she just knows.

‘Do you honestly think I would simply let you go just like this?’ Ursula is sweating, her voice comes out as a whisper but Odile has hand already in Ursula’s chest, squeezing at her heart.

‘I won’t ask again, why did you need my blood? Who did you deal with?’

Ursula smirks and moans softly when darkness caresses her heart dangerously. Darkness has always been seductive. Nobody could say no to that pull. Odile had always resisted it quite well.

‘The witch’

‘Which witch-?’ theres a familiar pull and Odile clenches her jaw when a dark blue liquid gets released from Ursula and enters her veins. A growl and a slap and Ursula laughs.

‘Shame I wore such tempting panties for you and you didn’t even get to see them.’

Odile bites back her soft whimper and lets her eyes fill with darkness. ‘It’s morning, the deals done. Goodbye Ursula.’

Odile has enough time to open a portal and jump into it which dumps her into the dark forest and into the water. Her magic and brain goes wonky from all the squid ink flowing in, she scratches and tries to get it out but it’s not working. The white panther growls next to her and she smiles with her eyes closed, ‘good girl.’

The panther carries her to the `palace where she stumbles into her own bedroom and passes right out on her single bed.

She is woken with the pain in her left eye and arm and knows instantly it was at least an entire vial of squid ink that was injected by the Sea Queen.

She mocks Ursula in a high pitch voice, ‘imagine us, destroyer of worlds and sea queen together, what a pair would we make’

‘Tentacles are not my type’ she keep muttering to herself and cuts small slits in her arms to drain the squid ink.

‘It’s me who does the penetration, you see wench.’ 

()

Looking at her wife, Odile summons a plate of chocolate cake and watches as Regina gives a small moans and sniffs the air for food.

‘Why did you never tell me you had magic?’ Regina’s eyes shoot open and rips her hands away from the soft touch.

‘M-magic?’ Regina stutters and looks at her hands, ‘I don’t have it.’

‘You have, its elemental in nature. You’re made of magic. Your mother must have done something to suppress it. What were you thinking when you touched the mirror.’

‘You.’ Regina blushes softly.

‘Oh.’ Odile eats the creamy cake on her plate and things. ‘Interesting.’

Regina steals the plate from Odile and eats. ‘I wonder what would trigger your sister’s magic.’

Regina gapes, ‘Zelena has magic too?’

‘Yes she does.’ Odile nods. ‘Although I didn’t think you would have magic.’

‘Why not, if my sister has then I will obviously have it, Odile.’

‘I thought Zelena’s father had magic in him because your Father doesn’t.’

‘She has a different father?!’ Regina gasps and Odile looks at her with a bored expression.

‘I know your father doesn’t have any hair on his head but how many gingers do you have in your family, Regina? Not even a single ginger in your entire family tree. Honestly, humans I swear.’

()

Odile ended up wearing a loose shirt untucked under some similar loose pants sitting on the swing overlooking the garden. She was still drained but her brain was working overtime. Listening in on anything that could tell her why Ursula would need her blood. Even her saliva would work that way. Why would Ursula need it so desperately that she gave up his blood?

‘I’m sorry.’ Odile smiles but doesn’t open her eyes, the servant who was rubbing balm on her shoulder blades curtsies and scurries off when Regina motions for her to leave. 

‘I know you are.’ Regina scoops the mint green concoction and presses it gently on the cuts Odile has mercilessly made on herself to get the squid ink out. Regina stands behind her hunched wife and massages out the knot, feeling even worse about putting Odile through this alone.

Regina presses kiss on her wife’s unharmed shoulder and watches darkness whirl beneath her lips as though it’s trying to jump at her. She does it again and the same happens.

‘Stop doing that.’ Odile’s grip on the wood she’s sitting on tightens and her eyes blacken. ‘Darkness has always lusted beauty, don’t tempt it.’

That was possibly the sweetest thing Odile had ever said to her. 

Rounding around her wife, Regina unbuttons first couple buttons of the thin shirt and slaps on the bitter smelling concoction on her bruised clavicle. She gasped at how Odile had her head bowed down, hiding her left arm behind her back which had gone black-filled up with darkness. The darkness had creeped up her neck and pulsing with grey and black, a couple tendrils had climbed up her face and connected with her left eyes, leaving gross scars of green and brown.

Regina’s heart broke when Odile’s hand started shaking, whether it was fear of holding darkness back she had no idea.

‘This is not what a darkness does, dearie.’ Rumpelstiltskin giggled and she snapped her head up at the short crocodile skinned man. She hadn’t seen him in centuries. Even though she knew he was in her head and could not hurt Regina anyway.

‘No need to look so surprised dearie, you do have my blood after all.’

He did have a tendency to show up when she was staying sane for far too long, he was her master after all, her mentor, and her predecessor.

'I need to teach you how to protect yourself with your magic, Regina.' Odile does not take her eyes off her invisible figure, 'untamed magic is worse than dark magic.'


	16. Chapter 16

15.

15.

In the dark empty forest, only Odile’s humming could be heard. It was black night with the only source of light was the half-moon but Odile didn’t mind the lack of light. The vial of blood that she dealt with Ursula felt like having victory right in her reach.

She rubbed the vial with her thumb and stopped when she felt traps around the empty castle, she titled the bottle and let a couple maroon blood seep in the forest floor. It caused all the trap to disappear.

‘Look at that, Rumpelstiltskin.’ She hummed, stepping in the dusty castle. ‘I promised you that I’d get your treasure, didn’t I?’

Chuckling superiorly, she let her eyes filter out her surrounding and search for the room with no doors- a place with all of his treasure.  
Looking for the room was much harder than she anticipated but enjoyed nevertheless, it was on a strip of one side of the castle which was sealed with blood magic.

Dropping a couple drops on the wall caused all the traps to slump and Odile wasted no time in transporting herself inside the gray cemented room with rows and rows of magical finds.

A picture of Rumple hung on the opposite end and Odile sneers at it, ‘you know crocodile, I found your son in Land Without Magic, he was a cowards just like you. He passed out when I took his blood you know.’

She boasted to the maroon picture of him and belle. ‘I brought him back in the enchanted forest-’ she stops mid-sentence and looks thoughtful. ‘Maybe I should give belle a visit. I still can’t believe you cursed her to be immortal, so she could stay with you. How very selfish of you.’

She waved a hand and gathered everything she knew that wouldn’t get agitated with transportation and poofed it away to her own castle, away from her wife. She didn’t want her wife to accidentally discover this bomb, lord knows now that she has elemental magic she had to change the spells around the castle.

Once the transportation was done, Odile burned everything else by opening another vial with shimmering gray and a small box which contained hellfire. Bombing the bottle and causing the sparkling liquid to touch every surface of the room, and she tossed the hellfire right on the deceased Dark One’s photograph.

‘I always make good on my threats, you bastard.’ She flicked her wrist just seconds before the entire room was burned and the ashes of all the magical finds dissolved into the ground without leaving a trace behind.

And that how Odile Swan burned and stole thousands of year worth merchandise, all the bloods and sweat of Rumple. The giddiness of destroying everything Rumpelstiltskin worked for caused her to chuckle in the deep dark forest of Malicia.

()

There's no way she lost it. Just no way.

Regina checked her riding pants thrice, but the ring was nowhere to be found, panicking again she went to the other side of the palace where she and Cynfael played peek-a-boo because it had less sunlight.

Regina could already feel panic bubbling inside her, Odile had clearly instructed to, ‘do not remove them, no matter what.’

Cynfael took the first floor, Merida took the second floor and Mulan took the third floor and she herself took the fourth floor- in search for her ring.

Regina took a lamp with her and searched edge to edge the entire corridor, thumb running on her index finger where the black ring used to sit. When that didn’t work, Regina ran her gloved hand corner to corner.

It didn’t help that Odile had gone to paper realm to make a certain exchange a day ago. Although she didn’t know what the ring did, or what it protected her from- Odile had drilled the importance of the ring again and again and again.

She was vulnerable right now without her ring and her wife. A coil turned in her gut.

‘Your majesty, the ring is not on the second floor.’ Merida’s distorted voice echoed and Regina shivered, she dislikes this part of the castle. There was not enough sunlight, no guards, no servants, and it was dark as a dungeon. Regina was fully expecting a dragon to jump scare her.  
Cynfael squawked, and she knew the ring was not on first floor.

With concentration, she hadn’t used since after she learned how to knit, she touched her gloved fingertips and ran them once on the right wall and then left wall.  
Her hand skidded across- wait.

She blinked thrice and shook her head looking at the wall. Did her hand just go through the wall? It’s not possible.  
Taking ten steps back, she started again and- it went in again. Regina stared at the wall, it looked like any other wall in the castle, but there was something wrong with this one.

Regina pressed her hands deep in the wall and then walked her trunk through with her eyes closed and holding her breath.

Oh, god. What did she just do? What if this is a trap, and she hadn’t even told her guards that she was here. She had truly messed up this time. Oh no, she was going to die in here. She hadn’t even kissed Cynfael goodbye, Odile either.

Slowly, she breathed in and opened her eyes with her lamp in her hands. For a moment it was darkness but when her eyes adjusted, and she couldn’t hold the gasp. She had stepped in a prisoner’s room apparently. Did Odile hole her prisoners in here?

There was a single bed with a regular mattress, a single pillow and thoroughly used comforter. Her eyes took in the walls- on the two opposite walls, it was filled with tally marks from the top of the wall to the bottom, there was no balcony, and the only source of light was a big window.

On the left side there was an awfully comfortable chair. She moved her lamp to the right side, a pair of heavy-duty cuffs was connected with a heavy chain drilled into the floor. From the looks of it there were a lot of tugs where the paint had been ripped off and deep scratches on the part where hands would be if the person was cuffed. Deep dried blood scratches on stonewall.

She felt bile rise in her throat and her stomach rolled. This prisoner was chained like an animal and from the looks of tally marks he spent a lot of time in here.  
The room was crossed in eight steps, the room was that small and similar steps across. Looking behind from where she stepped in- it was a plain wall with palm sized pictures.

God knew how can a person draw so small, but the details were refined. It was as if the moment had been snapped in one second.

Stepping closer with her shaky hands, which shook the lamp too. Nearing the pictures she squinted and gasped. It was Odile. But not with platinum blonde hair, she had golden blonde hair with princess curls and beautiful ringlets ending right at her chest. She looked young- perhaps early twenties.

Several pictures of her in fact. The one which caught her attention was where her wife had another woman in her arms. It made her clench at the loving smile Emma was smiling at the brunette with brown eyes. Her eyes weren’t grey-green in the picture, it was blue-green- a color she never thought her wife could have.

She was holding her so intimately as if she was the most precious thing in the world. It made her jealous.

Something triggered deep in Regina’s chest, she could feel purple sparking in her fingertips. Her eyes flashed with what could only be anger and covetousness.

Another was of them kissing, one of her wife’s hand was on the rump of the brunette and another was in brown locks. And the brunette was laughing into the kiss. Regina’s eyes looked longingly at the absolute joyous smile of her wife. Odile never smiled at her that way.

The other was of Odile tossing a little girl in the air while the brunette pressed a kiss on Odile’s temple. The girl was halfway in the air with Odile’s hand ready to catch her.  
Another was of them in the kitchen with Odile over the small compact stove cooking while the little girl sat beside her with a small hat and an apron saying ‘sous chef’.

Regina felt dizzy, she had no idea why, her legs shook and vision grew blurry at the happiness in Odile’s eyes. The sudden fatigue increased her confusion ten folds. There was a side note.

I hope you come back soon, butterfly. We miss you xx.

‘WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?!’

Regina jumps back, scared out of her mind and relaxes at Odile’s voice, but then it registers to her. Her room? Its Odile Swan’s room.

Black mist oozed Odile with her pupils enveloped in darkness and Regina presses herself against the wall, hands splayed in a pacifying manner. It was then Regina noticed how the entire room had been enveloped with her purple magic, clashing and sparking when it came in contact with Odile.

Odile zooms in on her, and she gasps when a cold finger presses against her lips, ‘Never enter my room, Regina. Never.’

A snarl and angry frown on her face and Regina’s heart gets cold at seeing at the monster she had read stories about. She wasn’t afraid of her wife, but she knew when to take a step back and right now, stepping back was the best option.

The Queen’s eyes flicked twice at the pictures, seeing how this woman was different from the one with the picture. Odile follows her line of sight and her eyes widen and tears immediately gather at the corner of her eyes.

She blinks back tears but the small wobble of her jaw gives her away to Regina. Regina bites back her own tears and questions.

Her choked voice whispers, ‘Get out of this room, Regina. Now!’

When Regina’s shaky legs don’t work Odile waves her hand and transports her to her bedroom.

The last thing she sees is a single tear roll down her wife’s bloodshot eyes.


	17. Chapter 17

16.

Regina stabilised herself on her study table, her blurry vision and running nose didn’t let her do anything other than slump on the cherry oak chair. Her heart hurts painfully and the fatigue is too overwhelming. She could feel something itching inside her.

‘Do you honestly not like the colour?’ Regina’s hazy vision darts to the door and she opens her mouth to question but her eyes catches movement in the mirror. The familiar feeling of magic coursing through her veins and wisps emitting from the mirror and she knows the mirror is showing her something. She walks towards it slowly.

The image clears up and shows her a pouting Odile with coveralls and sitting with a small book of colour palettes on the floor.

‘Butterfly, its yellow. We could use teal to colour her room.’ The image backs off a couple steps so Regina could see the back of a brunette. The brunette appears fit with perfect amount of muscles and feminine curves.

‘But I like yellow.’ Odile whines and the brunette laughs. Regina then sees her face. It’s the same women from the photograph, eyelashes shadowing over her high cheekbones and two soft dimples which looks more attractive than Regina likes to admit. Intense chocolate brown eyes and a sharp jaw accompanied by a long neck. Flawless. The woman was simply flawless. 

‘Maybe we could ask porcupine what colour she would like.’ Regina watches furiously as Odile drops to her knees and press her ears in the soft bulging belly of the brunette.

‘Absolutely not.’ The brunette huffs, threading her fingers through blonde hair lovingly. ‘You both team up against me and you know well what it does to me when you do that childish baby talk.’

Regina watched covetously and resentfully as an Odile is pulled up by the thick straps of her coveralls and her wife picks up the brunette bridal style.

The image stutters every time she feels herself spiral out of control. A crack appears in the mirror and Regina then loosens her grip on the mirror.

The brunette presses a kiss on Odile’s neck and Odile lets out a breathy laugh. ‘At least let me take you to bed, Vicky.’

Vicky? Regina lets out a half scream and half howl and punches the mirror, smashing the mirror in pieces. The scene shuts down with the brunettes’ perfect laugh echoing in her bedchambers. The anger and adrenaline rushing through her veins doesn’t let her feel the pain. She removes the long piece of glass sticking from between her fingers and tosses it aside. Summoning a small piece of clothing, she wraps it around her hand and stalks out of the bedroom.

She was going to kill Odile.

()

‘Odile!’

Her voice echoes off the corridors when she calls for the nth time. She knows Odile is here and ignoring her. But it doesn’t deter her.

‘Show me your face you unfaithful-’

‘I’d watch my mouth if I were you, Regina. You’ve pissed me off enough for today.’ Odile’s voice booms furiously and Regina whirls around to find her wife leaning on the wall with her arms crossed.

‘Who is she?!’ Regina stomps to her wife, all while her magic keeps bouncing off of Odile and crackling in the air. Their magic mixes together and paints the entire room

‘You are mine!’ Regina grips the front of Odile’s soft silk shirt and pulls her close. ‘You are my wife. How dare you-’

‘You married me, Regina.’ Regina feels herself being harshly thrown towards a wall and Odile squeezes at her neck, Regina struggles and pushes at her wife’s chest crossly. ‘I am not yours. I never will be. You belong to me. You married me to save your kingdom and that’s all we will ever be.’

‘Odile-’ Regina growls. ‘Her names Vicky, isn’t it?’

Odile momentarily looks stunned so Regina sneers at her with her eyes growing onyx, ‘I will kill her and then you!’

Odile squeezes her wife’s injured hand causing her to whimper in pain, ‘you will never lay a hand on her.’

‘Still care about her, huh?’ Regina mocks through her pain. ‘I thought you loved her, you did her call her ‘my love’.’

Regina greedily grips her wife’s collar and pulls her harshly towards her mouth, their lips meeting and clash harshly against each other. Odile selfishly kisses her back and winces when Regina bites her lip hard enough to draw blood. ‘You are mine. Not hers. Tell me where she is. I will not have you touching another women.’

‘Regina.’ Odile attempts half-heartedly to push her wife away but Regina like a squid had pressed them both together with her magic. 

‘I will kill her and the baby for claiming you.’

‘Regina!’ Odile’s right hand shoots and backhands Regina. For a moment they both look too shocked.

Regina’s hand immediately cups her reddening cheek and her eyes fill up with thick tears and Odile’s heart breaks at the sight.

Dark One attempts to sooth the bruised cheek but Regina slaps it away every time. ‘Baby girl, I am sorry.’

‘I hate you, Odile.’ Regina chokes out and wipes under her eyes when tears start to fall. ‘I. hate. You. I should’ve taken the witch’s deal.’

Odile wipes at her bleeding lip and watches Regina run off to her bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was this okay? god i feel horrible


End file.
